More Than Just A Dream
by pussycatwithattitude
Summary: Six years ago, they had dreamt of children and owning a little hotel and now, six months after the tragic car accident, could that dream be coming true for Anna and Bates, or is it still a dream just out of their reach?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **After the news yesterday that I'm going to be an auntie (YAY) I really wanted to post this. It's been something I have been working on for a while, only five or so chapters long, about their life after Matthew's death. I know this kind of thing has been done before, and some things might be similar to those already written, but this was a next step before I can feel comfortable writing something longer. So please let me know what you think, reviews are always welcome. Thank you to **testship **for reading this through for me. The rest of the chapters will follow fairly soon.

Forty-one days 'til Downton!

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognise will belong to ITV, Fellowes etc. Will be the same with chapters 1-5.

**More Than Just A Dream**, _pussycatwithattitude_

_**Chapter One**_

_February, 1922_

It had been six months since the trip to Scotland. Six months since Matthew Crawley had passed away in the tragic accident that had left Lady Mary Crawley a widow and their son, George Crawley, fatherless. Life had changed dramatically in those six months, not only for the family upstairs but for the servants downstairs too. Any semblance of routine had disappeared and, despite Mr Carson and his attempts to calm the storm that followed in the weeks after the funeral, even he had to admit that not everything could go on unaffected. Dinner was served to pale, solemn faces and food was barely finished. Mealtime in the servants' hall was often silent, and even the more outspoken of the servants knew when to keep silent and have some respect. His agony for Lady Mary especially could be seen by anyone who knew him, and at times it seemed like the only way for him to regain some sort of perspective after the accident was to impose control. Mrs Hughes would keep to a similar routine and immersed herself, and the maids, in work just to keep them all afloat and to ensure the family knew not everything was falling apart around them. Mr Bates would often remain late with His Lordship, attempting to ease his worries about the present and the future so soon after the death of his youngest daughter.

And then Anna…

Anna rolled over tiredly in her own bed, instantly bringing her hands up to her eyes to rub the sleep out of them. She then proceeded to reach out for her husband who she found in bed beside her, surprisingly still sleeping peacefully. Their sleeping patterns had been subject to change over the past six months. Often John had been the one to wake early and attempt to rouse her from sleep, but since Anna's time with Lady Mary became more and more frequent, often comforting her in times of grief when sleep eluded her, her sleeping patterns had altered. Often in the first few months following Matthew's death, Anna had stayed with her lady during the night on a camp bed, when her nightmares had been frequent. There had also been a series of nights where she had stayed in her old room in the servants' quarters, ready to be on hand if she had been needed. Anna had apologised to John on quite a few occasions for their time apart, but he had dismissed them almost immediately, reiterating that she was needed here.

But now, six months later, life was finally beginning to get back to normal. Well, normal was perhaps the wrong word – the house was still living under the cloud of grief that had arrived ever since that fateful day in September. But nevertheless, Anna now slept beside her husband again, and nothing in her life had ever felt as normal as this.

Anna took this rare moment to take in her husband's sleeping appearance. The sun was slowly beginning to rise and evidence of that could be seen as the rays streamed through the crack in the curtains, the light splaying across his face although not enough to wake him. The sunlight danced across his skin, creating a foreign glow that Anna delighted in seeing. Anna propped herself up with one hand, watching him with a soft, contemplative smile across her face.

Life had not been perfect since his release from prison, but it had certainly been enjoyable. Sometimes the earlier mornings and the later nights would prove to be irritable for her patience, her temper flaring occasionally, most of the time aimed at her husband. But a lot of their time was spent in domestic bliss, and Anna could barely remember a time in her life when she had been happier.

However, in her more contemplative state, Anna could not help but let the topic in her mind rest upon their future now that her present was so perfect, and the prospect of having children of their own. Whilst she had spent a lot of the past six months helping her lady, she had also helped in tending to the six-month-old boy whose charming smile and excited babbling had already captured her heart. She couldn't lie to herself; she wanted a child with John. It didn't escape her mind that John had been released from prison for almost eighteen months and she was yet to be with child, and she was almost one hundred percent certain that neither of them were doing anything wrong…

Was it her? After all, she was hardly young anymore… Of course, John would disagree with her. She had once complained that she had what looked like a white hair, and he had dismissed any matter of her age immediately, reiterating that she was still young, beautiful and captivating to him, each one of these punctuated with a kiss to her neck that led her to pull him seductively into their bedroom. But the fact still remained that she was no longer _young _and that most women started families when they were often ten years younger than she currently was. Maybe she was no longer fit to be a mother.

Her thoughts were quickly admonished as her husband roused from his sleep. She would never let him fall witness to her troubles, especially as he would probably find them silly.

Bates sleepily groaned and turned over onto his side, Anna shuffling herself down further into the duvet covers so she could look at him. When Bates opened his eyes, he saw his wife smiling at him, seemingly fully awake.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," she answered unmoving, content to watch him for now.

"You should have woken me," Bates smiled, moving his hand to rest upon her waist. Although his comment was seemingly innocent, the glint in his eye told her something else entirely.

"We still have time," Anna replied coyly, leaning across to kiss her husband as they proceeded to say good morning properly.

* * *

Anna had not seen John since they arrived at the house that morning. Lord Grantham had wanted his riding clothes, and this ensured his valet would be spending a lot of his time cleaning, searching and preparing for his ride later that afternoon. Anna had often teased John that he should clean His Lordship's boots immediately after a riding session and save the dull, inevitable and, as time passed, harder task when the time would come again. But it seemed he never did listen, or he always had other work to complete.

Either way, Anna had not seen her husband for all of that morning.

After luncheon, when he had still not appeared, she decided to go in search of him. She climbed the stairs into the body of the main house and was about to turn down another of the long corridors when she heard the cry of a baby coming from one of the rooms. Anna stopped for a moment, assuming that the nanny would tend to baby George, however a minute later the cries could still be heard.

Looking around her and seeing that no one was nearby – and there was definitely no maid – she turned back to the room and opened the door slightly.

Baby George was in his cradle by the window, his growing limbs flailing in the air and his cries becoming increasingly louder as the seconds passed without the attention he desired. His persistence and tenacity was something he definitely got from his mother, Anna thought with a smile.

Without a second thought Anna crossed the room and reached down for George. She had spent countless times with the baby since Mr Matthew had passed away so tragically, her lady becoming so lost in her grief that she often turned to Anna as a main source for help with her son. In those first few months, trust had become an issue for the grieving Lady Mary, and Anna was one of the few she could trust to look after her son, seemingly her one remaining source of hope and light. Needless to say, the little boy had become quite familiar with Anna.

George squealed happily upon seeing her and lifted his arms to be held.

Anna obliged, holding George upright against her, bouncing him up and down softly and causing him to quieten a little. "Now then, what's all this?"

The question seemed to bring back all that was the matter with him, for he started to cry again, attention evidently not being the reason for his former cries.

Anna continued to move him up and down in her arms, thinking quickly. If the schedule had been kept then he would have been fed just a while ago, therefore he could not be hungry and quick inspection told her that he did not need changing.

She looked around the room, searching for the source of his discomfort. "Are you going to lend me a hand here?" Anna turned her head to George, his eyes glistening. A quick scan along the floor, however, and the discovery that his favourite teddy bear had fallen told Anna all that she needed to know.

Bending to the floor carefully, she scooped up the bear and handed it to the little boy whose cries instantly faded. George instead began to smile and he held out the bear to Anna, showing her.

"Yes, that's a very nice bear," Anna spoke to George. "Mr Carson bought you that, didn't he?"

George had stopped crying completely now, and instead was happily laughing and babbling along to Anna's conversation. Anna seemed to be saying the right thing because George continued to laugh along to her voice and the gestures she made. He would occasionally lunge forward in her arms and place his little hand upon her cheek. Anna moved forward to look out of the large window that overlooked the grounds, pointing out in the hope that George would look.

They both observed the grounds together and as little George made certain cooing noises, Anna replied to his observations which were apparently satisfactory to the little boy. He laughed and pressed his hands against the glass, his curious eyes scanning the grounds below.

Anna was so caught in her moment with baby George that she did not notice Mrs Hughes entering the room through the door behind her. As Anna looked out of the window at the spectacular grounds below, the older woman approached her from behind. To gain her attention and not frighten her, Mrs Hughes placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder, causing Anna to turn around, still visibly surprised.

"Oh, Mrs Hughes, I was just…"

"No need to fret, my girl," Mrs Hughes noticed and soothed. She raised a hand to pat George's cheek affectionately. "I can see all is well here."

"He was crying that's all, and we couldn't find nanny, could we?" Anna directed her statement from Mrs Hughes to the little boy who was beaming as Anna bounced him on her hip.

Mrs Hughes smiled. "I can see you're a natural with him."

Anna smiled shyly. "I love children. Perhaps it's because I grew up with younger siblings."

Mrs Hughes continued to smile fondly although she could see Anna's appearance changed just a little. Her eyes seemed to grow a little darker at the topic of children, and for a moment the older woman contemplated the idea of asking Anna whether anything was the matter.

However, just as Mrs Hughes was about to open her mouth, she closed it again. She decided that the conversation, if it was ever needed, would wait for another day.

Besides, Anna was now talking happily to little George again and he seemed perfectly content on putting the rattle Anna had just seconds ago handed to him into his mouth. His teeth had recently begun to come through and she had heard that this had become a problem at night, when he would wake and cry painfully.

"Look at him," Mrs Hughes commented affectionately, reaching out her hand to stroke his cheek. "The image of his mother, really."

Just the mention of his parents caused a pregnant silence to descend upon the two women in the room, the events of six months ago still sore.

It was Anna who finally spoke up. "He definitely has some of Mr Crawley about him, though."

Little George seemed to pick up on their silence and cooed loudly just as the nanny entered into the room behind them. "Oh, sorry," Eve apologised as she noticed the housekeeper and the lady's maid tending to her charge. "I only popped downstairs to check his bed clothes were washed and dried for later."

"No worry, my girl," Mrs Hughes smiled. "We think his teeth were hurting a little is all."

Eve smiled considerately before stepping forward and relieving Anna of the baby.

Mrs Hughes noticed another distinct change in Anna once the baby was out of her arms and decided that now was the time to head back downstairs. "Right, well we should go back downstairs, Anna," she announced tentatively.

Anna followed her out of the nursery and once they were away from the door and down the corridor, away and safe from wanton ears, Mrs Hughes spoke to the younger woman softly, "You know, if you ever need to talk…"

The suggestion almost seemed to change something inside Anna, because she now visibly shook herself and her back straightened. "I'm fine, Mrs Hughes. Don't worry about me."

Anna could only walk past the housekeeper for a moment before she felt a hand upon her arm, causing her to turn around.

"I mean it, Anna," she spoke softly and reassuringly.

Yet whilst Anna appreciated the gesture and her expression softened, her resolve remained the same, "Honestly, it's nothing."

Mrs Hughes graciously accepted defeat here, that much could be seen through her smile. "If you say so," she conceded before leading the way back downstairs.

And Anna would have momentarily forgotten about the idea of children if Ivy had not started a conversation about young Sybbie as soon as she had sat down in the servants' hall. Luckily Mrs Hughes had gone into her sitting room. It seemed that the little girl had taken after her mother in more ways than one, having toddled down into the servants' quarters early that afternoon and spent some time drawing with her crayons in Mr Carson's pantry.

Anna smiled in kind gesture of the conversation before turning away to some mending that she had yet to complete for Lady Mary.

Yet Ivy's words persisted in entering her mind.

"Oh but she's such a lovely little thing," Ivy cooed. "Do you think you and Mr Bates will ever have children, Anna?"

Anna was grateful for Mr Carson right then whose spluttering choke as he entered the room gave her the excuse to not respond.

"I hardly believe this is a suitable conversation for the dinner table." _And neither was the thought of a pregnant lady's maid._

But even though the conversation died after Mr Carson's blessed interruption, Anna still could not help but feel crestfallen. She had spent a lot of time with baby George over the last six months, aware that she became one of the few people Lady Mary could trust to look after her child after the tragic death of her husband. And the fact was, Anna had become so busy looking after the small child that now, after everything was slowly falling back into a routine, she felt almost lost without it. She wanted a child of her own and yearned for it to happen more than anything else in the world.

She and John had promised after he had been released from prison that they would take the next couple of years one step at a time. They would not think to the future if they did not have to. They would take it one day at a time and revel in their time together after being apart for so long. And that meant that the subject of children had not risen very often. When Lady Mary had first discovered she was expecting Anna had fallen into the same contemplative state she was now, and when it had become known in the household, she and John had discussed it, but to no lengths.

Anna knew John wanted children. She fondly remembered a time in the servants' hall when they had talked about children and owning a little hotel in the future. But nature seemed to dictate that now was not the time for them to have children. Or maybe ever.

The thought was an extremely painful one.

Anna knew she would always love John, nothing could ever change that. But she had always thought that if she would ever marry, she would become a mother too. Of course, there were other options if it was never to be… But the thought of turning to adoption was a very final one.

Anna swallowed determinedly, feeling her eyes begin to sting as she focused on the stitching of Lady Mary's summer dress, although one that she was no closer to wearing again, still in black. She sighed. The conversations happening around her all began to blur together and suddenly Anna felt claustrophobic in the hall. Everything was becoming too much. She needed to relieve her mind.

She stood up abruptly and muttered some sort of excuse to those who actually turned their heads before walking out towards the courtyard in desperate need of fresh air.

Anna opened the back door and instantly took in a deep breath, gracious of the air. She walked across to a stack of wooden crates and leant against them, letting her head lift to view the sky above. She took a few more deep breaths before going back to normal. She closed her eyes, letting the light wind sweep across her face.

She remained that way for a while. For how long, she couldn't say, but that eventually Bates came outside looking for her.

"Anna?" he called out to her, walking across the courtyard to be at her side.

Her head instantly fell and her eyes opened. A rush of relief washed over her, something that had become frequent in their times together. Anna smiled, however as she did her lip began to tremble.

She tried to stop it but he noticed.

"What is it, Anna?" He asked, concerned. "The others said you just got up and walked out here. You look pale…"

"I'm fine," Anna tried to insist but it was no use. "I felt hot in there, so I came out."

Bates gave her a look. Clearly he did not believe her. "And that's all?"

Even though he asked the question, he knew that was not all. But Bates knew from his time with Anna that if she had a problem and she did not want to speak about it that was that. His wife was a force of nature. He might as well ask the wind to stop blowing.

But despite all this, Anna's resolve was beginning to break, and this concerned him. He could see her eyes beginning to glisten and his heart lurched uncomfortably.

"Tell me. Speak to me, Anna," Bates pleaded.

"Later. At home. I promise."

Her voice was breaking a little and she was eternally glad that her husband knew her well enough to know when she needed his touch. Bates pulled her into his embrace, letting her fall against his chest. He could feel her shaking, and he brought his hands up to her back, rubbing it soothingly and methodically.

Eventually they had to go back inside, but Anna kept to her promise and later that night she spoke to her husband.

Anna had finished earlier than Bates that evening. He had told her to go ahead of him when he knew his Lordship would be retiring late and although she had put up some protest, eventually she conceded. This gave her time to return to the cottage, have a hot bath and prepare some tea for them both. Experience told her that he would not be home until half past eleven at least, and it was only quarter to at the moment.

She was wrapped in her dressing gown, sitting at their kitchen table with tea when he came home through the front door. Anna heard as he took off his coat and shoes and she silently prepared herself to speak with him.

She heard his footsteps approach the kitchen, the soft glow of the candlelight giving away her location. Anna poured his tea just how he liked it. Milk, no sugar. The door handle turned. John appeared, his waistcoat partly undone and his collar open.

He smiled warmly.

"I made tea," Anna announced, smiling slightly.

Bates could feel the tension. It was a tangible force throughout the room. Both of them knew that she had promised to speak to him earlier, and he was waiting for her to make the first move.

Bates took his seat at the table opposite Anna. The cup and saucer were before him, but his eyes failed to even settle upon them. They were trained upon Anna, silently imploring for her to tell him what had been troubling her, and to relieve him of the anxiety he had felt all afternoon and evening.

"John, I…" Anna trailed off.

He took her hand from across the table. It reminded him of the time in the Red Lion when she had discovered his whereabouts all those years ago. And just like before, as John possessively clung to her hand with both of his, Anna's resolve finally broke.

"Oh John, it's silly. You'd tell me I'm being silly."

"It's not silly if it bothers you so," he stated matter-of-factly.

"It's just…" Anna's voice wobbled. "Spending time with the baby today, it makes me think…"

She stopped for a moment.

Eventually, a few many seconds later, Bates asked, "Think about what?"

He thought he knew already.

Anna raised her head, her eyes glistening with tears and looked straight at him. "Children, John. Are we ever going to have children?"

Surprisingly, her revelation calmed Anna somewhat. She seemed less frantic and she simply sat and watched, waiting for his response.

"We have no reason to believe it won't happen."

He was right, there was no reason. But Bates was also aware that not being able to have children was always a possibility.

"Then why not already?" Anna asked feebly.

He shook his head to say he did not know the answer to that.

"Maybe it's me," Anna suggested. "Most mothers are younger than I am with their first. Maybe my time has come and gone."

Bates replied quickly, "Why should you think it's you? You're young, healthy; there is no reason to think that. If anything, it could be me… After all, I never had children with Vera all those years ago."

Anna visibly winced at her name and she could see a similar impact upon John's features.

A silence fell upon them for a little while after their recent revelations had been digested, and in that time Anna felt her fears arise once more. John could see it immediately in her face, and instantly sought to comfort her.

"Or maybe," he began contemplatively. "This just isn't the right time for us. Just think about it, you have been working solidly for these last six months, helping Lady Mary. That must have been stressful for your body. That can't have been right for a baby."

"And the time before that?"

"It was a long time before Lady Mary and Mr Crawley were expecting a child."

"Yes, but she…" Anna stopped herself. She was going to remind herself about Lady Mary's little operation in London. But then she also thought about everything John was saying. He was right, really. Some couples went for years without expecting a child. The last six months had probably been a stressful time for her body, what with the little sleep and the dismantling of her routine.

John noticed the look of realisation dawn upon her face and smiled. He gently pulled at her hand, coaxing her around the table to sit upon his lap. She often complained that she was too heavy for him, but he often admonished those claims with a shake of his head and a kiss to whichever part of her skin he could find. She sat sideways across his lap as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Chances are, in a few years we will have a child. And we will wish longingly for the time again when we can have a full nights sleep."

Anna could not help but laugh, even as her face was buried in the place where his shoulder met his neck. She found it reassuring to hear his deep, throaty chuckle reverberating against her.

"And if that's not to be the case," John continued. "Then we will face it together. We have been through enough already to let something as indefinite as this throw us to the side."

Anna sighed against his skin and mumbled, closing her eyes. "You're right."

And he was, really.

Right now, she had no reason to believe that children were not in their future. Her mother had been just a couple of years younger than she was now when she had given birth to Anna, her first child. And she was healthy; all of these years working at Downton left her in reasonable shape. And she loved John, and she knew that she would love him and that he would fill her life with love, as she would do him, despite whatever happened in their future.

Things were beginning to change now, too. Life was beginning to fall back into some sort of routine.

John seemed to read her mind. "Give it another six months. And then, if nothing happens, we go and see Doctor Clarkson."

That didn't happen.

After three months, Anna visited Doctor Clarkson. She had not been feeling herself for a couple of weeks now. She would often be sick in the mornings – and sometimes the afternoons – she would tire easily, she would snap at John for little things like not making her tea the way she liked it and eventually, after a particularly dizzy spell at work and a stern word with Mrs Hughes about looking after herself, she went to visit Doctor Clarkson. He examined her, pressing her stomach in different places with his hands, and he asked her questions.

And she came out of the village hospital positively beaming. She found John immediately when she arrived back at Downton. He was in his Lordship's dressing room, preparing his clothes for the evening. He had been alone. A nervous smile, a nod and a little laugh had been all the confirmation he needed. He had laughed too, happy tears springing to his eyes as he closed the distance between them, moving his hand to rest upon her stomach. Anna swore she would never forget the look upon his face at that moment. The look of excitement, fear and anticipation all mixed into one. And she had felt it too, but in that moment it hardly seemed to matter. John swept her into his arms, regardless of their location and kissed her temple and then her lips. Nothing else mattered anymore.

They were going to have a baby.

* * *

**A/N: **Thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **A huge thank you to everyone who has left reviews, put this story on alert or in their favourites. Whenever I get these notifications, it makes my day. I will be putting Chapter 3 will be up sometime over the weekend. Please continue to let me know what you think. It really is the best motivation for now, and for future ideas. Big thank you again to **test-ship **for being my second pair of eyes.

**More Than Just A Dream, **_pussycatwithattitude_

_**Chapter Two**_

_October, 1922_

The first few months of Anna's pregnancy passed without major incident. She experienced some of the symptoms of pregnancy, including the morning sickness and the fatigue, but eventually those began to fade. John had been worried at first, hovering over Anna at home and at work, when she had been constantly sick in a morning and could barely stomach her meals, but Doctor Clarkson had reassured them that this was perfectly normal. But generally, there were no complications surrounding the pregnancy.

And now, five months into her pregnancy, Anna was beginning to show through her uniform. At home, they had both noticed a small bump towards the end of her third month, but her corset – which had been loosened considerably in that time – hid it well from their colleagues. John had argued that Anna should lose the corset altogether, but Anna insisted that she would be fine and that if it should cause any problems, she would stop wearing it. Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore, along with some of the younger maids, had fussed over her small bump to begin with, however Mr Carson had taken to sending a few worried glances her way here and there, and that was all. Although he was indeed delighted for Anna, the propriety of a lady's maid with child was still out of his world.

It was October now, and the Yorkshire weather had begun to change drastically as they approached the winter months. The dark nights were beginning to arrive, too, and this only added to her husband's anxiety, especially when it came to them walking home at night. Often in their time as husband and wife at the cottage, she had walked home ahead of him if Bates knew he would be needed late, yet now Bates never wanted Anna to walk home alone. Anna had argued at first and insisted that she would be perfectly all right walking home alone, but after a couple of weeks of heated arguments she had agreed to being escorted home by Albert, one of the new footmen.

But even that could not stop Bates fussing over his wife.

Anna was sat at the servants' luncheon in her regular seat, her husband next to her. She placed her cup of tea down and, just as she was about to use her spoon and taste some of the soup Mrs Patmore had made for downstairs, she felt a resounding kick against her stomach.

Anna tensed and dropped her spoon, unaware as she became accustomed to the foreign feeling. Her fingers had tensed, and Bates had noticed.

His head had turned sharply upon hearing the spoon clatter into the bowl. Mrs Hughes had noticed the moment, too, but the rest of the servants were in a cloud of their own conversation and the clanking of spoons against bowls.

Bates continued to watch Anna closely as her face changed and one of her hands came down to rest upon her stomach. But what Bates did not notice as his eyes were trained upon the small swell that Anna's expression had changed from surprise to an excited understanding.

"Anna," Bates began in a low whisper. His tone was laced with concern.

She heard his voice, despite being wrapped in excitement, and she turned her head to smile at him softly. Her smile reassured him slightly, but she knew it would not be enough.

Anna turned her body to face him, as she had done so many times in the hall to immerse themselves in their own private conversations. No one batted an eyelid. Except perhaps Mrs Hughes, but she had noticed Anna's expression had changed and that satisfied and reassured her enough to look away and give them a moment of privacy. "Feel, John," Anna whispered, taking his hand and placing it gently upon her stomach in the exact place their baby was kicking at that moment.

Bates sat, mouth agape, his eyes flickering from her stomach to her eyes. The look of pure wonder in his eyes was one that Anna would never forget in her entire life. John had been crestfallen when she had announced being able to feel the baby move inside her and he had not been able to. She had described it as best she could to him, explaining that it felt just like a fluttering in her stomach. But now he could feel it, the proof of their love. The proof that after two years of avoiding their feelings, five years of battling against his divorce and then almost two years of being wrongfully detained, their love had not been swayed.

His eyes sparkled as he gently caressed her stomach with his thumb, wary of their current location. They told Anna almost everything she had ever learnt about his feelings for her, and she smiled back, letting her thumb rub across his hand before turning to the rest of their colleagues.

* * *

A month later, three months until Anna would be due to give birth to their child, Bates was walking down the corridor from his Lordship's dressing room. He had just finished laying some clothes for a late afternoon walk that Lord Grantham had expressed his desire to go on, and Bates calculated that he would have another hour and a half until he needed to return and help him change. Bates decided that he might go on a walk himself – perhaps he could find Anna and, if she was not busy, she could join him. A short walk around the grounds, perhaps to the greenhouses where various vegetables were grown, would definitely lighten his current mood. It had been raining that morning when Anna and he had left the cottage, and that placed an even greater strain on his bad knee. It did not help that Thomas – _Mr Barrow _– had been unwittingly irritating all day so far, passing snide remarks whenever he could.

Bates turned another corner, assisted by his cane, and was about to turn down the corridor that would lead to the staircase leading downstairs when he was met by a much younger figure in the hallway.

Master George was toddling down the hall – Bates assumed the door to his nursery must have been left open – and the boy's eyes lit up as soon as he saw someone else was with him. The boy approached Bates, holding out his arms and grinning widely, "Da!"

A pang of grief rushed through Bates as he realised what the little boy was attempting to say. Master George had presumably heard his older cousin saying that word with her own father, and any man that the young Crawley was used to seeing seemed to be deemed fit for this name.

Bates crouched down, ever cautious of his bad knee, and held out both of his hands for the little boy to take, "Now then, what do we have here?" Bates asked lowly.

George did not answer, and instead used his little hands to climb onto Bates. The head valet helped him, bringing the arm that did not hold his cane around the boy's waist before he hoisted George up to rest on his hip.

"What would Mr Carson say if he saw you wandering the corridors?" Bates chastised George lightly, his mouth twitching into a smile as he noticed the boy begin to laugh. "Now," Bates continued. "Let's get you back to the nursery before anyone notices you're gone."

It was a rare moment for Bates, to be speaking to anyone like this. Often it was only Anna who saw the lighter side of him and could bear witness to his teasing and mocking gestures. This thought only excited Bates further as he thought about what was in store for the two of them in a few months time. Their own child who would no doubt look to him for guidance in their time of need, and also for reassurance when in fear. The thought did excite Bates, but it also scared him more than he would care to admit. The idea that Anna and their child would depend so greatly upon them, especially in the first few months for work and for carrying and caring to their every need, terrified him.

He had confided into Anna once, when she noticed that he looked distant and worried around four months into her pregnancy. The pure excitement of the news had been partly replaced by the anxiety and the fear for the first time, and Anna had noticed. He had revealed his fears of not being able to look after them both; however she had quickly dismissed them. His Anna had reassured him through actions and words that he would be the best father to their child, and that she had no doubt he would not falter in being the best husband to her, as he always had been.

Bates limped slowly in the direction of the nursery, ever cautious of the little future lord in his arms, even though he was not at all heavy. Pausing just outside the open door, he manoeuvred his cane in his hand and swung it open further.

"Here we go," Bates whispered loudly, carrying George across to his cot. "Now, you're going to have to promise to stay here until I can find nanny…"

Bates heard a familiar giggle sounding from behind him, and he instantly turned. It seemed his suspicions were correct – well, partly. Anna was stood by the door, leaning against it ever so slightly, the swell of her stomach ever visible through her black dress, and beside her was Lady Mary, who seemed just as amused to see her father's valet interact with her little son.

"I'm ever so sorry, Bates. I hope he didn't disturb you," Lady Mary eventually spoke up, entering the room and taking her son into her arms. She smiled an affectionate thank you to Bates as she gently began to bounce George in her arms.

"Oh no, milady," Bates reassured. "He was out in the corridor, so I brought him back."

"Still, I must thank you for bringing him back here, and for going out of your way."

Bates was going to respond with yet another protest until Lady Mary fixed him with her narrow stare. His silence, and the change in his facial expression, caused his wife to erupt into laughter behind them both. As the two adults turned – George too, in his mother's arms – Anna hid her laughter behind her hand, turning a shade of crimson.

Bates smirked and, after a few moments of comfortable silence, walked across to stand beside his wife.

Lady Mary watched as Bates went to stand beside Anna, and smiled feebly at even the most subtle of their interactions. The image was a poignant one for her, however despite the events of this past year or so, a sense of realisation swept across her as George excitedly squealed in her arms and let out her name, "Mama!"

Her heart swelled, as it always had and would, whenever she could listen to the voice of her son. Lady Mary suddenly began to realise all that she had left in her life, even if the void left behind by the death of her one, true love could never truly be filled. "It seems I do have a lot to live for," Lady Mary spoke quietly, although loud enough for Anna and Bates to hear by the doorway. She spoke up a little louder this time, "You both must be tremendously excited to become parents."

"We are, milady," Bates smiled, looking down at Anna by his side.

Anna smiled back, brushing her hand against his. "Very much so, milady."

Lady Mary remained quiet for a few moments, content to hold baby George in her arms – although not quite so a baby now – until she spoke up, although seemingly regretfully, "I'm sorry to sound rude, but might I please have a word alone with Anna for a few minutes?"

"Not rude, milady," Bates reassured the younger woman. "Of course you may."

The valet turned, although not before giving his wife one final smile, and left to go back down to the servants' hall.

Lady Mary then turned to Anna, little George still in her arms, "I had wanted to ask you something, Anna."

"Milady?" Anna asked after the pause, walking further into the room and reaching out her hand to playfully tickle George's cheek.

"Once the baby is born, might there be a chance of you coming back here?"

"I'm not quite sure I…"

"What I mean to say," Lady Mary interrupted. "Is could I persuade you to come back again, as my maid?"

Anna seemed visibly taken aback by the proposition, although the prospect of no longer working had been on her mind a lot during the past months.

"Obviously you would need several months, at least, before you would return. But I'd rather like not to lose you just yet." The last sentence was spoken with such tenderness that Anna had to look up once more at her lady. Her eyes were glistening a little, and a small smile was playing across her lips.

"But, there would be no one to look after the baby–"

"I thought of that," Lady Mary intervened. "The nanny here could look after him or her throughout the day, and there would be little stopping you from coming in to see them."

_Clearly Lady Mary underestimated the amount of work she did downstairs_, Anna thought.

But the thought did, deep down, seem an appealing one. She had worried about filling the void that her work at Downton Abbey had filled since she was fourteen. And the more Anna thought about it, the more she thought that it _could _potentially work.

But of course, she would have to speak to John.

"I will think about it, milady. But I would have to speak to Mr Bates, too."

Lady Mary smiled, understanding but nonetheless appreciative that Anna would at least consider it. "Of course you would, Anna. And I understand."

Lady Mary nodded her head, and Anna smiled. Her smile grew wider as George reached across to be held, Lady Mary relieving her hold of him as he went gladly to Anna. As she held the child and Lady Mary continued to fuss over her son, Anna continued to think about the proposal, already thinking about the conversation that would happen between her and John.

* * *

That night, as Anna lay beside John in their bed as he read, she began to contemplate the ways to bring up this conversation. It was not that she feared any kind of reaction from him, but it was a big subject and a potentially life-changing decision for both of them. Their child would be brought up by a nanny, and not their mother. Both Anna and Bates had resigned themselves to the thought that Anna would be here all day to tend to their child.

"John…" Anna began, breaking through the silence in the room.

Her husband murmured his response at first, still reading his book by light of the candle.

Anna sighed, knowing that now was the time to gain his attention. She spoke more firmly, "John."

This time her husband turned his head, and the light from the candle was casting a lovely, warm glow across his skin.

Bates instantly noticed her face was home to a troubled look, and his book was promptly forgotten as his hands came around to her, one resting atop of her expanded stomach and the other her cheek. "What is it? The baby?"

"No, nothing like that," Anna instantly reassured him, regretting that she may have worried him for a moment.

"Then what is it?" He asked, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"I had a proposition today," Anna began, and she could see that her husband was instantly confused and that she needed to indulge him more. "Lady Mary has asked if I would go back to work after the baby is born."

It took him a moment to let the information sink in, but Bates instantly frowned, "How long after the birth? Surely that would be too great a strain on you. And what we do about the baby during the day?"

Anna spoke slowly, the opposite of her husband's rambling, "You see, that's the thing. She has offered for the nanny at Downton to look after the baby."

Bates seemed to be processing the news slowly. He, however, asked again, "When?"

"After the first several months, or however long I would need."

He began digesting this information now – Anna could see his mind whirring from the expression on his face. She remained silent as the information was processed. Eventually Bates spoke up, "Do you want to do this?"

Anna smiled slightly, "I have to admit, the idea is quite appealing. I have wondered these past months how I will cope, not working." Anna paused for a moment, trying to gauge some sort of reaction from her husband. "But I did say I would speak with you about it, before making a decision."

Bates caught her eyes and laughed softly and moved the hand that was across her stomach to take her hand, "You don't need my permission to do this."

"I know," Anna smiled. "But I wanted it to be a joint decision."

This seemed to send Bates into another fit of thought. Anna watched as his face became almost expressionless, his eyes lost to his thoughts.

"We would need to rearrange some hours," he eventually spoke up. "On an evening, for instance, so we could have you bring the baby home to settle."

"Are you saying–"

"If it is what you want, Anna, then yes." He smiled, bringing her hand up to his lips, kissing it softly.

They discussed things even further. Bates mentioned his ideas about rearranged hours and was hopeful that, since it was Lady Mary's idea to want Anna back, it would be no problem at the house. Anna proposed that this idea may have been because Lady Mary was still in a state of grieving, and her husband agreed, acknowledging that after losing Mr Crawley, Anna would be one of the few people she could trust completely.

Their conversation, however, was brought to an abrupt end when a resounding kick could be felt from within Anna's stomach. Bates, who had brought his wife right up to his front so they had been lying, facing each other, even felt the kick himself.

Bates laughed heartily, bringing his hands down to caress her stomach.

"Someone knows they are being talked about," Anna spoke softly, smiling herself.

"And neither of us can wait to meet them," Bates whispered back, meeting the eyes of his wife and noting that a whole myriad of emotion was now present within them.

Anna leant forward and kissed her husband; aware that he would probably never know how much she appreciated and revelled in his choice of words. Declarations of love were spoken as John proceeded to wrap his arms around Anna, letting her head rest against his chest as sleep eventually came to them.

* * *

As the months passed and the date of the child's birth neared, Anna was beginning to find it evermore difficult to continue working to the extent she had been for the past few years, even though she would often insist she was fine.

This, however, did not stop her husband from forming a plan with Mrs Hughes one drizzly Thursday morning in January. It had been on his mind for a while now, but after yet another night where Anna had almost collapsed into bed at night due to exhaustion, he felt that actions needed to be taken. Mrs Hughes, as it happened, was only too happy to oblige, she having been just as concerned for the maid.

Their plan was formed in less than a day. Mr Bates and Mrs Hughes had decided that Anna would dress Lady Mary in the morning and during the day, whereas on a night her short-term replacement – after she and Bates had agreed with Lady Mary's proposal – would dress Lady Mary, giving Anna the time to sit and rest. Her duties during the day would be altered too – instead of rushing around with the laundry, that task would be bestowed unto the replacement maid, Ingrid, however Anna would be there throughout the day should she need the assistance, and in the meantime Anna would be sat at the table downstairs, off her feet and tending to any mending that needed doing.

Bates was considerably satisfied with the plan, and was thrilled that it had taken little encouragement on the part of Lady Mary, or the staff downstairs that need be involved.

Only Anna had protested to the arrangement, but eventually she had to concede. She was exhausted, after all. She was now eight months with child, and her ankles had become slightly swollen because of the additional weight. Mrs Hughes had also spoken to her, rather sternly if Anna remembered rightly, that people were worried about her, and that she should accept that she needed to take lighter duties.

February arrived faster than any of them could anticipate – the month Anna was due to give birth. Bates was on tender hooks almost all the time, constantly needing to be assured that Anna was fine and was not overworking herself. Her duties had all but been taken over completely by Ingrid at this time, but Anna still came to the house during the day for the company and to complete odd tasks.

One of these lighter tasks was to go into the village and complete some errands with Mrs Hughes. It had been a fairly warm morning for February, so she had only needed her coat and she had reassured her husband before she left that she could cope with the walk.

The walk, however, _had _been exhausting, and they were only just entering the village. Anna tried to steady her breathing, aware that Mrs Hughes was watching her like a hawk. The housekeeper had felt something was amiss with Anna since she had arrived at the house that morning with Mr Bates, but she had kept her mouth closed aware that Anna could be incredibly stubborn and tenacious if she wished to be. However, that did not stop her from casting sideways glances to the younger woman she had taken under her wing over twenty years ago now.

The two women completed some errands in a short space of time, collecting some vegetables that Mrs Patmore had asked them to stop by for and also some stamps for Mr Carson. However, just after midday, Mrs Hughes noticed Anna become increasingly pale.

Unbeknown to Mrs Hughes, Anna had started to feel slight twinges in her stomach, although she had managed to hide it well. It was only when a surge of pain rifled through her stomach that she was caught by surprise. Anna cried out, clutching her stomach and bending forward instinctively, hoping it would ease the pain.

"Oh, Anna," Mrs Hughes reassured her gently, rubbing patterns across her back. She continued to do so until Anna had recovered from the pain and stood up straight again. "How long have you felt the contractions for?"

Anna swallowed, acknowledging that this was really happening now. "About half an hour," she spoke quietly.

This was all that Mrs Hughes needed to know. She took Anna by the arm and began to lead her back through the village, although not before stopping at the hospital to leave a message for Doctor Clarkson, who was currently out of the hospital tending to another patient, to come to Downton as soon as he could.

Anna did not feel another contraction until they arrived back at the house. Bates had instantly come across to see her, seeing that Mrs Hughes had her arms around her, almost supporting her.

"What is it?" He asked worriedly. "Has it started?"

Another contraction decided to seize Anna at that moment, and she repeated the same actions as before, placing a hand across her stomach, bending over and moaning loudly.

Bates paled.

"The labour has started, Mr Bates." Mrs Hughes answered.

"Then we need to telephone Doctor Clarkson right away," Bates shouted instantly, evidently beginning to panic.

"There's no need, Mr Bates–"

"No, he's right, Mrs Hughes," Mr Carson intervened, clearly as alarmed as Mr Bates at the thought of Anna – a girl he had known for over twenty years, since she was a child herself – in labour without a doctor present. "We need to telephone for Doctor Clarkson."

"Mr Carson, would you and Mr Bates kindly calm yourselves down," Mrs Hughes shouted above them, the silence following her order being filled by another low moan from Anna. "I say there is no need because we already went to the hospital and left a message for him there. He will come as soon as he is able to."

This seemed to calm down both the men.

"Now, there is still a while to go yet," Mrs Hughes stated. This was met with an exasperated moan from Anna who had just returned to her natural posture and was searching to meet her husband's gaze. "For the time being, we get Anna into bed and comfortable. Mr Bates, you can come with us. Mr Carson, if you could inform His Lordship."

Despite not being used to following orders, Mr Carson nodded and promptly climbed the stairs to find Lord Grantham and the family.

Mrs Hughes, in the meantime, helped Anna upstairs into one of the guest bedrooms – a room that her Ladyship and Lady Mary had insisted Anna take for the birth when it had been decided she would stay here. She had sent for one of the housemaids to follow them with fresh bed sheets, and Mrs Hughes and Mr Bates set to work comforting and undressing Anna whilst the bed was being made.

The maid finished it in almost record time and left again, leaving the three of them alone in the room. Once changed into a nightgown, Anna sat down on the bed, one hand still clutching her stomach. Bates came to stand beside her, unsure as to what he should do.

"Now," Mrs Hughes announced when she had finished folding Anna's clothes into a pile. "I'm going to fetch you both something to eat, then I will be back."

Before she left, however, Anna reached out for her hand and the younger woman spoke tearfully, "Thank you."

"Oh, don't be silly, my girl," Mrs Hughes admonished. "I will be back soon, and I'll stay for as long as you want me."

Anna gave Mrs Hughes an appreciative smile before she left before she turned to her husband who looked even paler than she, if it were possible.

"Stop worrying," Anna laughed. "We have quite a way to go yet."

Bates could finally take it no longer, and he dropped to sit beside her on the bed, cupping her cheeks with his palms. He was unable to find the words say, however, and that realisation caused them both to laugh together. Eventually, he kissed her passionately, hoping that it would transfer some of his strength across to her for the pain she had yet to endure.

"Just think, come tomorrow, we will be holding our little boy," Anna whispered loudly, letting her smile widen as she referred to the withstanding argument between them.

"You mean our little girl," John finally spoke, letting his own lips curve into a smile.

Anna smiled even more, letting her forehead rest against his gently. But after a few minutes of silence, simply bathing in the presence of each other, Anna spoke up, her voice trembling in fear, "I'm scared, John."

He let out a shaky breath, fighting to remain composed in front of her when he was, in fact, the opposite inside. He would never admit it, but he feared for the safety of Anna and their child right now, and only the piercing scream of a newborn and Anna smiling and rocking their child to sleep in the coming weeks could quell that fear. That is, if the fear should ever go. Bates knew he would be keeping a watchful eye on his family for the rest of his life.

Bates raised his head, meeting her eyes, "I know. So am I."

Anna let out a shaky laugh, her attempt to sidetrack the fear she began to feel rising from inside her. She brought her hand up to his cheek, familiarising herself with his skin that was becoming rough again so quickly – he must have forgotten to shave this morning. Anna swallowed deeply, shakily, but the words that left her lips now were anything but, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Anna. And I know you can do this."

* * *

When Mrs Hughes returned with the food, Bates knew that his time inside the room with Anna was limited. Doctor Clarkson would arrive soon – Lady Mary had told them he was finishing treating an elderly woman in the village. Bates, however, could barely stomach the food placed before him, and even Anna – despite protests that she must eat to keep up her strength – left at least half of her plate.

Doctor Clarkson had arrived an hour and a half later, and Bates had been asked politely to leave the room while Anna was examined.

It took all of his strength to leave her, although Bates reminded himself that in the presence of Doctor Clarkson, Mrs Hughes and Lady Mary – the last who had taken it upon herself to cool Anna's forehead with a rag and also to braid her hair so it would not be in the way as much – Anna would be fine.

And it was this thought that kept him going for the hours to come.

He was allowed inside the room every so often, when the contraction had passed and it would be a while before the next, but the majority of his time was spent either outside the guest room, waiting to hear anything, with the servants downstairs or in the presence of Lord Grantham who had suggested a game of something to take his mind off it for a moment or two. Mrs Patmore had forced him to eat a slice of meat pie downstairs, and she had also poured a cup of tea down his neck, but nothing could quell the anxiety he felt every time one of Anna's screams pierced through the house.

The servants downstairs were rallying around him, he could tell. Even Thomas was not being his usual self – perhaps the raw memory of Lady Sybil played across his mind, because he offered Bates a cigarette on one occasion, which Bates declined politely although began to regret later. Mrs Patmore would often come and sit with him, prompting him to talk about their name suggestions. Daisy kept on offering him tea. Mr Carson kept reassuring him that Mrs Hughes would ensure that Anna had everything she needed. Jimmy and Albert offered to start a game of cards, which Bates refused, but everyone else began to play, keeping them awake as it neared one o'clock in the morning.

It had been almost twelve hours since Anna had returned home with Mrs Hughes, and still there was nothing but piercing screams, over and over again.

It was well into the night and the early hours of the morning – twenty two minutes past four, Bates had observed – when Doctor Clarkson came to find and tell him that the process was rapidly moving along, but it would still be a while yet. He should get some sleep if he could.

Bates rolled his eyes once Doctor Clarkson had left to go back upstairs. Sleep? Now? Was the man insane? Bates knew he would not be able to sleep until he knew his wife and child were safe and well, and the sounds that continued to come from upstairs did not help in the slightest.

When Mrs Hughes appeared downstairs, coming for a bite to eat herself, and something for Anna, Bates jumped up from his seat, disturbing the rest of the servants who were half asleep at the table, surrounded by coffee and scattered playing cards.

"How is she?" Bates asked, exasperated.

"Sleeping," Mrs Hughes answered. "Well, as best she can, really. Doctor Clarkson says she has a while yet, so he advised she get as much rest as she could for now."

"But she, the baby…"

"Are both doing as well as can be, given the circumstances," Mrs Hughes replied, smiling sympathetically at the distressed father-to-be.

With that, Mrs Hughes left to find her bite to eat and take something back up for Anna, leaving Bates to collapse back down onto the chair.

As the house began to gather pace at around half past six that morning, Bates found that sitting in the hall was only adding to his anxiety. He stood and decided to go back to the guest bedroom and wait outside. The screams seemed to be becoming more frequent and Bates often had to close his eyes and attempt to block them from his mind. He imagined Anna in there, in pain, crying out… He shuddered, wanting nothing more than to take this pain away.

Bates waited outside and listened until it was almost nine in the morning, eventually joined by Lord Grantham, and then Mr Carson, who both lent him a sympathetic pat on the back, accompanied by words. It was around this time, however, when a loud, piercing scream – much louder, and longer, than the others before it – filled the air, and was then followed by silence.

And then a cry.

But it was a different cry to those Bates had been listening to since yesterday. It was the cry of a baby. _His _baby.

Bates felt chills climb up his arms and his back, and even Lord Grantham and Mr Carson fell silent beside him, listening to the sound.

The baby was still crying when Mrs Hughes came out of the bedroom, followed by Lady Mary, both smiling brightly, tears in their eyes.

"Oh you must be proud, Mr Bates," Mrs Hughes gushed. "She did ever so well, they both did."

Bates held in a breath, anxiety and anticipation filling his body as he watched the bedroom door open again to reveal Doctor Clarkson and his assistant.

"Congratulations, Mr Bates," Doctor Clarkson offered him his hand, which he shook. "The birth was longer than average, but both mother and baby are perfectly healthy."

"Can I–" Bates forgot his manners momentarily, almost forgetting all but the fact that his wife and child were behind that door, waiting to see him. Bates visibly shook himself when he realised. "I mean, thank you, Doctor. I really do appreciate–"

"No need for apologies, Mr Bates. Just go in and see them."

Bates needed no more encouragement as he almost stormed past Doctor Clarkson, fumbling with the door handle before stepping into the room.

The first thing to hit him was the smell. It was different, almost the smell of birth, at least he assumed it was.

But then his ears tuned to a soft gurgle and soft whispers coming from his right hand side. Then he turned his head, and his eyes caught the most beautiful sight he felt he could ever imagine.

Anna was sat, propped up by the stack of pillows behind her, her head bent over a small bundle wrapped in a white blanket. A few wisps of golden hair could be seen by Bates as he stepped closer to the bed, catching the attention of his wife.

Anna looked up, and her smile widened, "We've been waiting for you. Come and meet your son, John."

His eyes glistened with tears and he had to think about breathing for a moment, such was the strength of emotion he felt at those words.

He crossed the room in seconds, letting his lips linger upon Anna's forehead before he looked down at the small bundle in her arms. The child, _their _child, was softly wriggling in the arms of his mother, yawning a little. And then he looked up, straight at John, and he swore he could never have seen a more beautiful sight. Their little boy had the same blue eyes as Anna, and here they were looking back up at him.

It was like he was falling in love for a second time.

"Will he do?" Anna asked tearfully, shifting across a little so John could perch down beside her.

"Oh, I think so," John replied breathlessly, bringing his hand to the baby's head and touching him softly, hesitantly, almost as though he was worried that he would break at a single touch. "I'm so proud of you, Anna."

"He took his time."

"You must have been so strong," John complimented her.

Anna smiled tiredly, "It was worth it. _He _was worth it."

John smiled further, if that was even possible.

"Do you want to hold him?"

"Can I?" he asked worriedly.

Anna chuckled, her eyes drooping closed. Her husband's fear of dropping their son, or such the like, was definitely an endearing quality. "Of course you can."

Anna carefully transferred their son into his father's arms, shifting even further across the bed so that John could sit on it beside her with their son.

John settled eventually, and nothing could describe the emotion in his heart as he held his son for the first time; as he watched him move about in his arms, becoming accustomed to the feel of having his father close by. He could feel the tears welling in his eyes again, recalling all of the moments in his past when he thought this time had escaped him, and how Anna had brought him back to life in so many ways.

"Did we decide on a name?" Anna asked tiredly, letting her head drop onto her husband's shoulder, watching the encounter with tears of her own.

"I think he looks like a William," Bates confirmed, recalling their past discussions. "William Daniel Bates."

"William Bates," Anna agreed softly, smiling tiredly, slowly falling to sleep. "It suits him."

Anna slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep, utterly exhausted after the process she had undertaken for almost the past twenty four hours. Labour had exhausted her, and John was only too happy to hold and spend time with his son. As he held William in his arms, and felt Anna asleep against his side, John Bates decided that, for all the reasons he used to believe he would never be worthy of a life like this, none of those would matter anymore.

* * *

**A/N: **No longer forty-one days. 22nd September and not the 15th :(


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thank you so much for the response to the first two chapters, it means a lot.

**More Than Just A Dream, **_pussycatwithattitude_

_**Chapter Three**_

_January, 1926_

The rumbling of the train beneath them was keeping Bates awake at the moment, his eyes, instead of being closed, fixed upon the scenery that was passing them by. The array of industrious buildings, grey and filled with bellowing smoke, had just disappeared, replaced with the rolling countryside that reminded him of back home at Downton Abbey. He breathed out a loud, content sigh as he shifted himself in his seat, trying to remain comfortable as he contemplated the amount of time they had left on the train.

William had been beyond excited to hear that the family would be taking a trip to London. As it happened, the house that had once belonged to his late mother, the one that Anna and Bates still rented, needed a compulsory check and they had decided to make a trip of it with their family. Three-year-old William had been bouncing around their little cottage ever since his mother and father had told him, but even their restless boy was now fast asleep against his father. Bates only had to turn around to be greeted by the messy set of blonde curls that lay atop of William's head, he being almost the reflect of his mother, except perhaps in build which he, evidently, got from his father. Even at three, William was a growing boy.

A soft cry from the other side of William suddenly drew attention to another child in the train compartment and, as Bates craned his neck so he could see, the image of his wife and youngest child appeared before him. He could tell Anna was about to wake up, her eyes no longer closed, and their six-month-old Henry, born in July, was wriggling in a manner of discontent in her arms, evidently wanting something.

Anna slowly began to mumble incoherently, on the verge of waking – Bates would know those sounds anywhere, the times he had spent watching Anna wake up in a morning. Anna had only dropped off for a few minutes, but she already seemed wide awake and tentative towards her child. Just before she began tending to Henry, however, she cast a glance sideways and looked at her husband, her eldest child leaning against him, still fast asleep.

As she began to rock Henry in her arms, his dark hair peeking from the blanket he was travelling in, she spoke to John, "It seems the excitement wore him out."

"No surprise there," Bates chuckled, smoothing William's hair gently with one of his hands. "He's been bouncing around the cottage for weeks."

Anna laughed herself now, reminding herself of the past few weeks and their eldest child's excitement about a trip to London, and on the train.

"The Cottons will be pleased to see them, though," Bates commented, smiling between his two sons and his wife. "I know Rose is only a couple of months from her date, now."

Anna and Bates kept up fairly regular correspondence with the lovely, married couple who rented their house in London, whether that be through inspection of the house and its state, or maintaining the friendship that had been built since their second visit down there almost three years ago now. Anna had been expecting William at the time, and Rose Cotton had expressed her longing for children of her own with her husband, Joshua.

"It will be nice to see her again," Anna smiled, whilst simultaneously rocking Henry back into a peaceful sleep. It had been almost a year since Anna had been able to make her last visit to the house in London, before she had discovered she was with child again. She had struck up a comfortable friendship with the woman a decade younger than she, and it would be nice to catch up again over a pot of tea. "I hope they can afford the house."

"It will be well looked after if they could, and it is large enough for a growing family," Bates reminded them both. They shared a wistful smile.

The duo may have considered moving into the house themselves, had it been further up north and closer to home. But, as it went, the house was in London – somewhere neither of them wished to move to – and their lifelong dream of opening a hotel was still possible if the rent would continue to flow into their bank, and even more so if they should sell the house at their desired price. Bates had enquired as to the pricing of the house once at work, and Lord Grantham had managed to get in touch with an old friend who would see if he could spare the time over the coming weeks.

"Which reminds me," Bates began, watching tenderly as Anna began to bring a growing Henry to rest upright against her chest, their little son resting his head on her shoulder, his breath rasping against his mother's neck. "If we do manage to agree on a price over the next few weeks, we could start looking for…"

Bates trailed off, almost as though he could not believe what he was finally saying.

Anna caught his gaze over the top of Henry's head and smiled, understanding and completing his sentence. "… For our little hotel."

"Back then it was such a distant hope, and now–"

"And now we have everything we could ever have wished for."

Just at that moment, Henry let out another shriek at the jerk of the carriage, causing William to stir.

Anna and Bates chuckled to themselves.

Bates spoke up, "Speaking of which."

He loosened his hold around William, letting the boy shuffle slightly against his side. It took William a few moments to wake up completely – after an attempt to hide himself in his father's jacket and allow himself just a few more minutes.

But when he did wake, William's eyes widened brightly, imploring his father instantly, "Are we there yet?"

"Not just yet, Will. We still have a way to go yet," Bates answered above Henry's cries of discontent.

He watched as Anna spoke to him, in their own baby language, however she seemed to be unsuccessful.

"Here, give him to me for a bit," Bates offered, holding out his arms. When Anna began to stand slowly and hand the baby to him, he spoke up again, cooing, "Maybe Henry just needs a little dad time."

His statement seemed to stand because, as soon as Henry was settled in his father's arms, his cries quietened, and eventually disappeared completely.

Anna huffed playfully, "Well I know where to come in future at three in the morning."

Bates smiled at her warmly, before focusing his attentions back to his baby boy, the son who seemed to be the spit of his father. Whilst William had inherited his mother's hair, eyes and facial features mostly, Henry had been born with dark hair and eyes like his father. Anna had expressed her delight at the time, while Bates had commented that the poor sod would be ridiculed for the rest of his life, to which he had received a well-deserved smack across the chest for self-depreciation. But, in truth, he adored that each of their children shared in their parent's physical appearance. It was almost another reminder that Anna – his_ beautiful_ Anna – had chosen him, and had bore him two children. He enjoyed showing them off to the world, relishing in the fact that these three beautiful, precious beings were his family.

He did have one more wish, though, and that was to give Anna a daughter. Bates knew that she secretly loved being surrounded by _her boys_, as she put it,but to give Anna her baby girl – a child she could make pretty, little dresses for when she was young, and worry too much about when she was growing up – was just one more wish he held.

"Daddy, tell me a story about London!"

"_Please_, William," Anna reprimanded him.

William quickly changed his sentence and reiterated, "_Please_, daddy."

Bates looked up from little Henry in his arms and smiled at his son, nodding. "All right, go and sit with your mum and I will."

William went happily into his mother's arms, settling in her lap and resting his head back as her arms came around him securely. Anna pressed multiple kisses on the top of his head before resting her cheek on his soft hair, waiting for John to start the story.

Anna secretly loved listening to her husband telling these stories as much as her children, and she sat with just as much anticipation as he began to wind a tale of a man and his adventures in London.

* * *

Anna waved goodbye to Mrs Cotton as herself, John, William and Henry left the house in the direction of the small hotel in which the family had decided to stay for the one night of their trip. After contemplating the idea of staying in the house, the duo had decided not to, reasoning that it would have been unfair for the Cottons to have to accommodate for them, and put up with Henry inevitably crying during the night, not that the offer had not been made during their quick visit.

Since it was only mid-afternoon, however, Bates and Anna decided to find a park to sit in, considering the weather had also turned out lovely for the time of year. Bates found them a park and a place to sit which was sheltered easily, reasoning that he had spent much of his time around here in the latter stages of his childhood.

He found them a bench beneath a tree, with patches of grass around it for William to play. Bates settled down first after ensuring that Anna was fine with Henry, hooking his cane onto the edge of the bench before lowering himself down, stretching his knee out in front of him.

"How is it?" Anna asked worriedly, sitting down with Henry wrapped up in her arms.

"Not too bad," Bates replied, massaging it gently.

"Perhaps I could massage it later for you," Anna proposed, although the tone of her voice caused Bates to look up instantly, his eyes widening as he noticed the playful darkness that had taken over the blue irises of his wife.

He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "And you tell me to be mindful of little ears."

Anna smirked delightedly but said nothing more.

Bates shivered in anticipation of tonight, now, and Anna could tell what he was thinking about as the silence around them grew.

It allowed her a few moments of contemplation herself, and as she rested back against the park bench, she thought back on the past three years and how their life had changed dramatically since the birth of William.

Anna had gone back to work initially, after the several months that had first been suggested. Those first five months with her son, however, had established such a connection between the two of them that Anna had found it difficult to part with him, even if it was just for sporadic periods of the day. Even though Anna knew that William was just upstairs in the nursery, her heart ached to be near him. She had spent the first five months of his life devoting every single second to her son, and now she was carrying Lady Mary's dress to be laundered and pressed. It was hardly a fitting comparison.

Anna had found herself hovering around the nursery for the majority of her day, only to be pulled away by a gentle, and understanding, Mrs Hughes who reminded her that she still had some of Lady Mary's mending to do downstairs. Sometimes Anna would be allowed to bring William downstairs – and the servants would love to have him there, especially Mrs Patmore, and Daisy, who had expressed her delight and appreciation in their choice of naming the boy – however even those times, she would be distracted by her son's delighted giggles and longing to be playing with his mother.

The pull to be a full-time mother, and to spend her time with William, eventually came above her initial decision, and after the first two months she had made the decision to leave service for good. People were sad to see her go, but all of them understood her decision. She would keep in touch with them all, and often go and visit them up at the house.

Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore would be regular visitors to the cottage. In the absence of her mother, who had passed away some years ago now, the two kind ladies adopted the role of grandparents to William and he thoroughly loved to be spoilt by the two of them. The two would often come and take William out into the village whenever Anna needed to complete vital errands, and Anna always suspected that William was given a fair few treats when he did. Needless to say, William always clapped his hands excitedly when he saw Mrs Hughes or Mrs Patmore arrive at the cottage, and Anna would always roll her eyes.

Anna pulled herself from her thoughts for a moment, as William squealed happily beneath her feet. He was quite content to be sat on the grass, pulling at strands and throwing them into the air, laughing as they either caught the wind and flew away, or as they fell to the ground. John had also moved to sit beside him on the grass, his leg outstretched in front of him.

Anna rolled her eyes and made a mental note to speak with him later about his knee but soon averted her eyes to the little bundle in her arms. Looking at Henry now reminded her of his godmother and, as she looked out across the park, a woman with auburn hair also began prompting these reminders, and Anna was suddenly lost in her thoughts again.

* * *

_Anna walked through the village, holding onto William's hand. Her baby boy was now three-years-old, having celebrated his birthday last month, and walking, and she was beginning to have a hard time believing and admitting to herself that he was beginning to grow up. She had some errands to complete in the village and William had been only too happy to join his mother on an adventure. _

_She was just finishing checking off the vegetables and meat that she would need for the coming weeks when she decided to stop off at the quaint, little bookshop in the village. It had been quite some time since either she or John had chosen to buy another book to read, and Anna thought it might be a nice treat for John when he returned home that evening. _

_After arranging to come back later and collect the meat from the butcher, when she was closer to heading home, she led William down the little side-street that hid the bookshop from the main viewing of the street. Just as she was about to push the door open, however, a hand gently grabbed her shoulder and Anna spun around, almost loosing her balance. _

"_What the–"_

_Anna was about to give this person a piece of her mind for frightening her like that when she suddenly recognised the face and stopped, her mouth agape. _

"_Gwen!" _

_Anna let go of the hand that was holding William for a moment and flung both her arms around her old friend, glad that she was out of sight of the main street. _

"_What… What are you doing here?"_

"_I thought it was you in the village," Gwen began, smiling. Anna took this moment to grab hold of William again, who had obediently remained by her side, despite not knowing the lady, and also to take in Gwen's appearance. She was wearing a smart, cherry coloured jacket and skirt with a white shirt and black heels, her hair was tied back in a bun, on top of which was sitting a hat the exact same shade as her clothing. "Although I have never met young William here, so I thought I should follow and make sure before–_"

"_Before scaring the life out of me? You made me jump!" Anna laughed, overwhelmed with happiness at seeing Gwen for the first time in almost five years. She had been granted some time off back when John had still been in prison and Gwen, who she still kept in touch with through letters, had told Anna that she was more than welcome to come and stay with her in Leeds – where she now lived and worked – for a few nights. _

"_It is good to see you, though," Gwen smiled before wrapping her arms around Anna again. When she released her, however, Gwen took the opportunity to look down at the little boy, still clutching onto his mother's hand warily. "And you must be William. I've heard lots about you."_

_William responded by hiding his face in his mother's skirts. Anna laughed in response, and stroked his hair with her hand. "He is quite shy with new people," Anna informed Gwen before kneeling down to William's level. The little boy reluctantly pulled his face away from her skirts. "Do you remember me telling you about Gwen? She was mummy's friend when she used to work up at Downton." _

_William seemed to think about this for a moment, chewing his lip before nodding. _

"_I've told her all about you in my letters," Anna informed her son, stroking his blonde hair to one side in an attempt to tidy it somewhat. "She's been excited to meet you."_

_William smiled at his mother and then turned, smiling shyly at Gwen and holding out his right hand, just as his father had taught him and recited, "My name is William Bates, pleased to meet you."_

_Anna felt her heart swell as she watched her son, clearly having remembered every word that his father had taught him. _

"_Well, what a polite boy you are, William!" Gwen gasped dramatically, causing William to giggle slightly in amusement. Gwen dropped to his level and offered her hand back. "My name is Gwen Dawson, although soon it'll be Gwen Jones." _

_Gwen looked up, met Anna's eyes and winked. _

_Anna was, quite rightly, surprised. "You're what? When did this happen?" _

"_Oh, a few months ago," Gwen smiled, straightening up. _

"_And you didn't think to tell me?"_

"_I wanted to wait and tell you in person," Gwen replied affectionately. _

_Anna looked as though she wanted to respond with something else, but refrained from doing so in front of her son. Gwen could have laughed at the glint in her eye, and almost did. _

"_Come on, I'll tell you everything about him over a cuppa tea." _

_Anna obliged, although first mentioned that she had to return to the butcher and collect the meat. Once that was done, Anna persuaded Gwen to come back to the cottage, to which she eventually complied. _

_Once there, Anna gave William a cup of water before preparing the tea for her and Gwen. Gwen sat at the kitchen table, looking around her and smiling fondly at the place her friend was now living. _

"_It seems you got everything you wanted here," Gwen smiled wistfully. "Are you and Mr Bates well?"_

_Anna turned and stopped preparing the tea for a moment, smiling with a bright shimmer in her eyes, "We are. In fact, you're not the only one with some news." _

_Anna exchanged looks between Gwen and William, who was sat fiddling with one of his toys, making his teddy bear fly through the air. Gwen caught on almost immediately and gasped in delight._

"_Oh, Anna, that's wonderful news! Congratulations!" _

_Anna smiled. "Thank you."_

"_When is the baby due?" _

"_Another four months yet."_

_Anna subconsciously moved her hand across the small swell to her stomach, only slightly visible through her clothes. She and John had been overjoyed when she had found out three months ago, although both were yet to reveal their news to anyone. She had actually planned to go up to Downton Abbey next week and tell Mrs Hughes first, but her surprise visitor this week had gauged the news from her earlier than expected. _

"_Oh, that really is wonderful. You will have to let me know about the christening and I'll come over."_

"_Well, there is actually something I wanted to talk to you about," Anna began, finishing with her task of preparing the tea and setting it on the table. "Mr Bates and I have discussed it and, we would like you to be this little one's godmother…"_

_Gwen widened her eyes in surprise. "Me? But surely–"_

"_There's no one I would rather choose." Anna stated firmly, before smirking. "Besides, now you are engaged to a businessman…"_

_Gwen tried to hide a blush the colour of her skirt as Anna began to talk about her husband-to-be. Gwen had revealed a few details on their journey back from the village to the little cottage – enough to give Anna something to smirk about. Anthony Jones was a little over four years older than Gwen, and she had met him in connection with her work as a secretary. He had been a close acquaintance of the man she worked for and, needless to say, when he had walked into the offices that time, Gwen had been struck instantly. He, as it turned out, had felt much the same. Two days later he had returned and asked if she would accompany him for lunch in town, and apparently their outings had become more frequent after that. _

"_A happily married couple with a godchild… and children of their own?"_

_Gwen flushed even more and laughed, "Stop it, Anna."_

_Anna giggled herself, bringing the cup of tea to her lips. After she had taken a sip, however, she placed it back down on the saucer and asked her friend seriously. "Will you want to have children?"_

_Gwen cast a glance at William for a moment, before turning back to Anna and answering, "Of course, eventually."_

"_I sense a but."_

"_But I have my career now, and I worked so hard for it. I fear all that would be taken away if we had a child."_

"_But surely you could work something out. Anthony would understand…"_

"_He would, I know he would," Gwen smiled happily in fondness of her fiancé. "But, oh I don't know! At the moment, things are just… nice. Simple."_

"_I'm sure the two of you can figure something out," Anna smiled reassuringly, reaching across the table to take her hand. Gwen seemed reassured as she squeezed her hand._

_However, after a moment of silence, Anna spoke up, _

"_Now, are you going to stay for dinner? I'm sure Mr Bates would be delighted to see you again. I'm not going to take no for an answer, either."_

"_Well, it seems to be all sorted, then."_

* * *

"Mummy!"

Anna was drawn from her thoughts as her eldest son shouted for her attention. She averted her eyes from the rather interesting bush that they had been fixed on for the last few minutes to her son, who was looking rather happy with himself, contentedly eating an ice cream.

"What have you got there?" Anna cooed.

"Daddy got them!" William squealed, taking another messy bite.

"Careful, darling," Anna warned him, aware that he had never eaten the treat before and could eat too much at once.

She then looked up to see her husband striding across the grass with his cane, balancing two more pots of ice creams with his other hand. Anna raised her eyebrow as he approached, although gladly took her ice cream. "Ice cream, in January?"

"I thought we deserved a treat," John explained, sitting beside her. "And William had never tried it before."

Anna murmured.

"Well, I can take it back if you–" he teased.

"Don't you dare, John Bates," Anna started, still juggling eating her ice cream and holding her son as her husband laughed at her sweet tooth. Eventually she admitted defeat, however, and placed Henry back into his pram.

"You were very deep in thought," Bates commented, edging closer to his wife.

"A lady over there reminded me of Gwen," Anna answered him, and Bates smiled.

"It was nice of her to send those gifts for the boys at Christmas," he commented and Anna murmured, nodding, still eating.

They stayed in the park for another half an hour, sat together as a family, before heading to the hotel.

* * *

The little hotel in which the family would be staying was not far from the park. It took just under fifteen minutes for Bates, Anna, William and Henry to walk there – and be pushed there, in one case – and when they arrived they found their room to be very lovely indeed. The old woman who owned the hotel had clearly taken into account their situation, and had brought a small, wooden cradle upstairs along with a small camp bed. Anna and Bates had thanked the lady profusely for the kind gesture, and even more so when she provided them with a wicker basket downstairs in the dining area.

Anna had found it much easier to eat her meal without having to hold Henry – neither of them willing to leave him anywhere but beside them, and they had left the pram in the room to save carrying it back down – and, in addition, he had been asleep for the entire meal.

William was also on his best behaviour, sitting with his parents and eating some chicken, potatoes and vegetables that had been on the menu that evening. Anna was especially glad of the menu, aware that her son _could _have been quite picky with his food. A few people stopped by their table to comment on the impeccable behaviour of William especially, and this caused Bates and Anna's hearts to swell with pride – and William went bright red and sat a little taller.

When their meal was over, Anna looked between William and Henry and suddenly announced, "I think I'm going to take them to bed. You can stay down here, though, and enjoy the entertainment." The lady had told them there would be a pianist performing later in the evening, and that the small drinks bar would be open until eleven.

Bates, however, shook his head. "I can help with them. You must be worn out," he replied, standing up as Anna moved to pick up Henry in the wicker basket, taking William into his arms in the process.

Anna was about to open her mouth and argue that he never had sufficient time to relax alone, and that he should stay and enjoy it, when Bates approached her, William in his arms who was very quickly falling asleep, and whispered in her ear. The feel of his breath made her shiver, but the words proved to have an even greater effect.

She obediently followed him up the stairs and into their room.

The room was small, but still quite spacious. There was room for a double bed, the cot and the camp bed, there was a window with a view of the city and also another door that led to a simple, adjoining bathroom.

It did not take long to settle Henry. Anna had changed him into his nightclothes before they had gone down for dinner – his small, white suit appropriate for most occasions. Anna pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead as she lay him down in the cot, arranging the blankets around him carefully.

Bates took care of William, but even he did not take long to settle either. Usually he would require a bedtime story from either of his parents, but as soon as he was changed and his head touched the pillow, his eyes were closed and his breathing was regular. Bates kissed his head tenderly, and moved across to repeat the actions with Henry as Anna did the same to William.

Afterwards, Anna stood by the camp bed and watched her children as they slept, smiling peacefully and, when her husband came to wrap his arms around her waist, she leant back against his chest. His touch still overwhelmed her – physically, and emotionally – even after all these years. She sighed as his hands began to run up and down her sides, tilting her head to give him quick access to her neck.

Anna shivered in anticipation of her husband's proposal earlier.

She did not have to wait long for confirmation, because his lips came to her ear and he whispered hoarsely, "How about we see about this _other _entertainment?"

His ploy to get her upstairs with him had been that the two could _quite easily_ find another mode of entertainment upstairs. _Alone_.

However, as Anna looked around the room, realising that their two sons were sleeping just feet away from their bed for the night, she grimaced.

But, as she turned in his arms, intent on teasing him a little more as her arms snaked up around his neck, her eyes caught sight of the bathroom door.

Her eyes were now home to a mischievous and racy glint, one that her husband had come to recognise over the past years. Bates raised his eyebrows.

Anna purred as she leant forward, her lips peppering his neck with kisses as his hands continued to stroke her sides. She began to nip in certain places, causing him to growl, and she could feel the proof of his desire already. Slowly, she leant up to his ear and purred seductively,

"How does a bath take your fancy, Mr Bates?"

John took her hand.

He did not need to be asked twice.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thank you for the response! I know there wasn't as much response to the last chapter, so if there was anything in particular you didn't like then please let me know. I really want to get better at writing these two and your opinions, good or bad, would help a lot. Big thanks again to **testship **for reading this for me. There is one chapter left after this, and I am still in the process of writing it, so I'm not sure how long it will be until I update again. I hope you enjoy!

**More Than A Dream, **_pussycatwithattitude_

_**Chapter Four**_

_July, 1930_

Anna and Bates, after another four years, were finally gifted with a daughter.

Their little girl, Ella May Bates, took after her mother in almost every way. Almost every feature of her tiny, little head would resemble Anna, from the rosebud lips to the blonde hair splayed across the top of her head. Their little girl was beautiful, and there was no doubt about that.

After two miscarriages between Henry and Ella, Anna and Bates had finally begun to lose faith in their chances of having another child, which was why Ella was such a surprise to them – their miracle. Not only was she their little girl, she was their little miracle. Bates had hovered over Anna like a hawk for almost the entire of her pregnancy. A number of times he had convinced her to come up to the house during the day with the boys just so that he could keep an eye on her. Neither of them could quite believe their fortune that Wednesday in July, especially after the struggles Anna had gone through with the birth.

Bates had been up at work when the labour had started. Anna had been feeling out of sorts for a few weeks, but had dismissed the feeling and had told herself, and her husband, that it may have been her age. It had not escaped either of their minds that they were both growing much older, and that this would most probably be their last child.

However, when the contractions began, Anna knew that the pain was not normal.

She stood in the kitchen, having been preparing William and Henry their lunches for school when an enormous pain had seized her body, causing her to double over in pain, letting out a surprised yelp. Neither of her sons had heard, both being upstairs at the time getting ready, but it was not long before she called them.

"William! Henry!"

A scuttling of feet had been heard as the boys ran down the stairs of the little cottage that had housed the Bates family for the last nine years. William had appeared first, and he could instantly sense that something was amiss. The eight-year-old may have taken after Anna in appearance, but his anxiety, his concern – especially about those he loved most – and his perception when matters were amiss, came from his father. Henry had followed, running into his older brother who had stopped suddenly by the doorway to the little kitchen.

"Mum?" William had asked worriedly.

Anna had turned around from the kitchen counter and was facing her sons, but one of her hands was still splayed across her stomach and her face was beginning to glisten, covered in perspiration. She struggled to regulate her breathing, although she had tried even harder when she noticed the look of despair and worry on the face of her son.

"William, I need you to do something for me," Anna began calmly, feeling the pain begin to ebb away for the time being. "I need you to be grown up."

William had nodded, stepping forward into the kitchen. "I can be grown up."

"Can I be grown up too, mummy?" Henry had asked from behind William.

Anna had closed her eyes for a moment, blocking the pain, and shook her head. "No, darling, I need you here with me."

She had no intention of sending both her sons. She would have been petrified without one of them here with her.

Henry had nodded solemnly, but when Anna held out one of her arms for him, he had immediately gone into her embrace. Anna had bent down as far as she could reach and kissed the top of his dark head, seeking all the comfort and reassurance she could from her five-year-old.

"Is it the baby, mum?" William had asked once more, approaching her cautiously.

Anna nodded. "I need you to fetch your father, William. Can you do that?"

William had nodded silently.

"You remember the way to Downton?"

William nodded again. The three of them had taken many trips up to the big house in their time to go and visit their father. Anna never liked to make it a habit – aware that the house would be busy most of the time – but Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes would always welcome them, just as the new butler did, and the boys would be spoilt rotten whenever they went. It had been two years now, though, since the two of them had retired together – much to the surprise of some household members, although not so much Anna and her husband – and after marrying, they now lived in a little cottage in a village a few miles outside Downton village.

"What about school, mummy?" Henry had asked, looking up at his mother.

"We will sort that when your dad gets back," Anna had replied. "Mrs Crow might be able to take you later this morning." Mrs Crow was the old lady who lived in one of the cottages. She would look after the boys sometimes when Anna needed to perform some errands, or when it was a special occasion and she and her husband would spend time alone. Anna did not like to make it a regular thing, aware that her growing boys would sometimes be a struggle for Mrs Crow to cope with, but the old lady always insisted that she enjoyed looking after them, and for Anna it was sometimes a blessed relief to have time to herself.

But William, despite his important task, could not move. His eyes had been trained upon his mother, watching as her expression shifted every so often. He hated to see her in such pain. He had swallowed nervously.

Anna had looked up a moment later and met his eyes.

"Go on, Will."

William had stood firm. "Dad wouldn't want me to leave you."

Anna had felt her heart twist. She nodded, "I know. But you need to bring him here, and he knows that."

William nodded sadly and had turned to leave, but not before he rushed across to his mother and embraced her lightly.

Anna had felt tears spring to her eyes at the affection she had received from her eldest boy. She kissed his temple and inhaled the scent of his hair before she whispered, "Go on, the sooner you go, the sooner you get back."

William had nodded, turned and ran out of the front door.

Tears sprang from his eyes as he ran, and he could do nothing to stop them. He ran as fast as his legs could take him down the paths that led to Downton Abbey. He tripped over once or twice, scraping his knees, but nothing could deter him as he stood back up and carried on running.

He arrived at the house quicker than he ever had before, and he stormed through the courtyard and the back door – the way his mother had always brought him and Henry – before he stumbled through the hallway, his breath ragged.

"DAD!" William had managed to shout, despite his current difficulty breathing.

"William," Daisy had come out of the kitchen, now head cook, wiping her apron. "What's all this about?"

"My dad! Where's my dad?"

"He went to dress His Lordship," Ingrid came out of the hall, Lady Mary's new maid after Anna had left service. "He's only been gone a minute or so–"

At that moment, a rush of steps could be heard down the stone stairway. Bates turned at the bottom and his eyes instantly found his son, having heard his shouting as he had been climbing the stairs.

Before he could open his mouth, however, William interjected, "Dad! You have to come now, mum is having the baby."

"Are you sure, Will?" Bates had asked, approaching his son and bringing them away from those overlooking the scene.

William had nodded. "She sent me to get you. She looked scared, dad."

_Scared._

William said it with such fear, and with tears in his eyes, that Bates had swallowed nervously. His decision was made in an instant, and he turned immediately to Mr Field, the new butler, who had appeared in the doorway.

"I will inform His Lordship, and will dress him this morning. Go, Mr Bates. Take the car."

He did not need a second invitation.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna had begun to panic as the pain had worsened. This was different to before, she had felt it. Tears sprung to her eyes as she realised she was alone, but for her five-year-old son. She started to gasp, needing to take more air into her lungs, yet the panic did not cease.

She had moved from the kitchen a little after William had left, Henry at her side throughout. Anna slowly climbed the stairs to their bedroom, however the pain was causing her hands to tremble.

Henry had noticed his mother's fear and exasperation instantly, noticing the things a small child would. Carefully, but with some authority, he had eased his mother down onto the bed. As soon as she was sat, Anna had reclined across the bed, her forehead beginning to heat up with sweat.

Henry crawled next to her and gently he had stroked the hair from her eyes, occasionally kissing her forehead. "Everything will be fine, mummy," he reassured his mother. "Dad will be here soon. William went to get him."

Anna had tried to focus on her breathing and listened to her son as he comforted her, and also focused on the soothing motion of his hand as it stroked her forehead. She could have cried at the tenderness of his actions. He had comforted her in the way she would, if he was ill or had woken after a nightmare.

"Ssh, mummy," Henry continued to sooth her.

Henry continued with those actions until the sound of the front door could be heard closing downstairs.

Anna called out for her husband instantly.

She could hear someone stumbling up the stairs, and then their bedroom door flew open, her husband stood beneath it, "Anna…"

"John," Anna cried quietly and had reached out for him.

He had come to her side instantly, had kissed her hand and then her face, feeling her forehead.

"What is it, my love?" Bates asked worriedly.

"It feels different to before," Anna whimpered. "It hurts so much, John."

"I brought Doctor Fawcett," Bates explained, becoming concerned about his wife and child. "He can tell us if anything is wrong."

Anna nodded tearfully.

Doctor Fawcett was the new doctor in the village after Doctor Clarkson had passed away last year. He came with a little prejudice from the rest of the village to begin with, having been so used to Doctor Clarkson for most of their lives, but after a few months he had settled in well and the village had taken to him kindly. He was much younger than Doctor Clarkson, in his early thirties, but he had a family history in medicine, his father being a doctor with a clinic in Harley Street. Apparently Doctor Fawcett had caused quite the stir when he told his family he would be taking a role in a small village hospital – he had married a local, Yorkshire girl and the two had decided to settle here together.

"Lady Mary is here too," Bates explained. Anna looked at him, confused. "She was there ordering the car, just as we were leaving. Since Mrs Hughes is no longer here," Bates explained. Mrs Hughes had been with Anna for her two previous labours, but since she was away now there would be little chance of that happening again. "She said you would need someone here with you."

Anna smiled tenderly, and had suddenly heard William speaking to a lady downstairs that she recognised to be Lady Mary. The two had kept up correspondence in her time at the cottage, and Lady Mary would be a regular visitor, as would Anna to the house. George was just a year or so older than William, and they were quite good friends. She had re-married three years ago to a man named Jacob Forrester who had been the family's last attempt to help Lady Mary find love, and she now had a daughter who was close to her first birthday. Mr Forrester was a businessman, formerly of London, who had moved to York in order to be closer to his wife and child. George also got along well with him, which had been a huge relief to Lady Mary.

Doctor Fawcett chose that minute to enter the room.

"Henry," Bates had begun to coax his son into his arms, knowing that Doctor Fawcett had wanted to examine Anna. "Come on, son."

Anna turned to her little boy, who had been lying beside her the entire time, and had watched her with wide, frightened eyes. She pushed herself into a sitting position and pulled him against her chest. She had whispered words of gratitude into his ear, and that he had been such a brave boy for her.

Then, Bates took his youngest in his arms and left the room, telling Doctor Fawcett that he would be back in a few minutes.

He had come downstairs to find William stood in their sitting room, discussing something with Lady Mary who had a reassuring smile on her face. She was sat on their settee.

She had stood as soon as Bates entered. "Bates, how is she?"

"Doctor Fawcett is examining her now. She was grateful that you came, milady."

Lady Mary smiled and nodded her head. She had then looked at Henry in his arms and her eyes brightened. "Will the boys be going to school today?"

Bates had looked perplexed. "I hadn't… I hadn't thought of that."

Lady Mary then gave Bates a thoughtful look before she decided to take some initiative and help him. "Then, let me take them now."

"Oh, milady I couldn't–"

"There is no question of it, Bates. I can explain to their teachers about the situation, and we can go and collect them early this afternoon. You should be with her while you still can."

Bates had looked somewhat relieved, and had nodded. It would be better if the boys were out of the cottage today, at least for some of the labour. They would only have been anxious if they had to stay here all day.

"Thank you, milady."

"Go upstairs now, and be with Anna."

* * *

"Lady Mary is taking the boys to school."

Bates had informed Anna as he entered their bedroom. She had still been reclined across their bed in her dress whilst Doctor Fawcett had crossed the room and was preparing himself by the open window.

"That was kind of her," Anna had breathed in and out, a hand across her stomach. Bates noticed she looked worried. He had silently implored for more information.

Doctor Fawcett had noticed and interjected here, "After a quick examination, I have found that the baby is in the breech position."

Bates had swallowed. "What does it mean?"

"It means the baby is the wrong way around," Doctor Fawcett had replied plainly.

"Is it dangerous?"

"There is every reason to believe mother and baby will come out of this unharmed. We will have to be quicker getting baby out when the time comes, though, and it may be more painful."

Anna had whimpered as another contraction seized her. Evidently the birth would be quicker than her other two.

"How long?" Bates had asked, panicked at seeing Anna in this state.

"Not long," Anna had shaken her head and leant forward in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain.

"She's right," Doctor Fawcett informed. "This baby evidently wants out, so I shouldn't think it would be long after lunchtime."

* * *

Doctor Fawcett was correct.

Lady Mary had returned from taking the boys to school and had immediately been brought up to the bedroom, ready to help Anna in any way she could. Bates had helped her change into a nightgown already. Despite the open window, Anna had still been cloaked in sweat and Lady Mary had taken it upon herself to use a cool rag, asking Bates to bring them regular bowls of cold water. It had kept him busy, and he had been glad.

When he had not been preparing another bowl, however, he had been waiting downstairs, listening to the screams of his beloved Anna above in their bedroom.

However, just a little after lunchtime, the screaming had stopped for a while.

Then he had heard footsteps bounding down the stairs, and Lady Mary had appeared, looking flustered. Her eyes were wide open and Bates had instantly felt his heart begin to thud rapidly. Lady Mary had called to him breathlessly, "She needs you."

Bates had been in a haze as he had climbed the stairs ahead of her, almost running.

Lady Mary had still been saying things behind him, but he had only caught phrases,

_She needed you. _

_She was calling for you. _

_Eventually he gave in and told me to get you._

Bates had felt his heart hammering as he flung open the door to their bedroom. Anna had been there, leant back against the stack of pillows in the very centre of their bed, breathing through another bout of pain. He could see tears in her eyes, and he had instantly walked across to her side.

"John!" Anna had whispered breathlessly, relieved.

Bates leant down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, and had settled himself beside her.

"I wouldn't usually allow this, but…"

"But?"

Doctor Fawcett had explained, "Anna is in a lot of pain. I'm going to have to turn the baby around myself to get it out…"

"But everything will be…"

"The umbilical cord may have wrapped itself around the baby's neck, so I must work quickly." Doctor Fawcett had given Bates all of the necessary information, without stating the obvious risks attached for the baby.

Anna had whimpered as Doctor Fawcett had readied himself for the procedure. She had grasped hold of Bates' hand and squeezed tightly and her eyes closed at the force of it.

Bates had been able to tell that she was scared. He had leant across her and pressed kiss after kiss to her head and whispered words of reassurance and love in her ear. _I love you. You can do this. It won't be long now. I'm scared too. You have always been the strong one. Just a little longer. _

Anna had screamed in pain, even though it had been muffled against his chest, as Doctor Fawcett had carried out the procedure. But eventually, through her cries of pain, Doctor Fawcett had begun to shout at Anna to push as he had guided the baby.

As Anna had begun to rock slightly and squeezed his hand as tightly as she could, Bates decided to move behind her and ensured that he could wrap his arms around her and hopefully give her the necessary strength she needed. As Anna had squeezed his hands and leant her head forward, Bates had kissed her temple and whispered words of encouragement over and over again.

And, eventually, Anna had fallen back against Bates and sighed loudly.

The silence that had followed was eerie – a silence filled with trepidation.

Until, a cry had pierced through it.

Bates had let out a relieved sigh and laughed lightly, Anna sighed and fell further back into his arms, although had craned her head to look at the baby.

Bates had leant forward and whispered in her ear, "You did it, Anna."

Doctor Fawcett had approached them both, the baby wrapped in a blanket already. "Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Bates. You have a daughter."

"A daughter," Bates had whispered softly, and watched in awe as their daughter had been placed in Anna's arms.

Bates had looked over her shoulder as Anna had cradled the baby.

Anna had tears in her eyes. This was their _daughter_. She and John had a daughter. Her face had been red, her eyes scrunched up as she continued to cry loudly. Her head had been covered with a few little, blonde hairs. And when she had opened her eyes and taken the first glimpse of her parents, she had the most beautiful blue eyes.

Anna had sniffed as tears of happiness escaped her easily.

Bates had hardly been able to breathe for the joy he felt. He thought his heart might have combust. He had spoken softly, "She looks just like you."

Anna had nodded and cried happily as she let her head rest back against John so he could take a closer look.

"She is beautiful," Bates whispered and reached out his hand to stroke her tiny head. "Hello, sweetheart."

The two others in the room had quickly left, giving the couple their privacy with their new daughter.

"We wanted a little girl," Anna had whispered happily and moved some of the blankets aside for a better look.

"She is our little miracle."

* * *

The boys were brought home an hour or so later by Lady Mary. Anna thanked her profusely for everything and allowed her to meet her new daughter, before Lady Mary announced that it was high time that William and Henry met their sister. She should be heading back to the house. Anna promised to visit soon with the baby.

Bates was downstairs with the boys, preparing them to meet their sister.

"Now, make sure you both wash your hands thoroughly." Bates instructed as he stood behind them at the kitchen sink.

"But I had a bath last night!" Henry protested.

"And you have been at school today," Bates retorted. "And look at that mud on your hands!" He stepped forward and tickled Henry's sides, causing the little boy to giggle and squirm in his arms.

"Daddy!" he squealed.

Bates only laughed before setting him down. He turned to William who had a pensive look across his face. "Are you all right, son?"

William nodded.

"Looking forward to meeting your sister?"

William nodded again.

Bates thought quickly. "Henry, go and fetch your teddy from the sitting room. You can show it to your sister."

Henry left obediently.

Bates came to stand in front of his eldest child. "What's the matter, William?"

"Is mum all right now?" William asked instantly, tears almost falling from his eyes. "Before she was so…"

Bates could not bear to hear the sound of his son crying, and immediately stepped forward and pulled him into an embrace. William may be growing up, and he may have been _too old now _for this kind of affection, but neither of them cared about that right now. William sought the comfort from his father as if he was a young boy again, and as he clung to his shirt he allowed a few tears to fall.

"Your mum is fine now," Bates reassured William. He decided to be as truthful as he could, aware that William was a bright boy for his age, "She was in a lot of pain before, the birth was quite difficult. But a woman is always in pain when she has a baby. She was like that with you."

William pulled back, looking up at his father. "Really?"

Bates laughed and nodded, ruffling his blonde hair affectionately.

Henry then joined them in the kitchen, teddy bear in hand.

"Now, boys, I want you to promise me something."

William and Henry both looked at their father eagerly, eyes wide open.

"I want you both to look after your sister, always." Bates felt a stab in his chest as he began to imagine not being here to look after them himself, although he knew too well that he was getting no younger. "I want you to look after her, and your mother. It will be your job to protect them if I'm not here."

Henry nodded eagerly, and William followed his actions, albeit with a hesitant smile.

Bates knelt down and held out both of his hands. "Can we shake on that?"

But almost as soon as his sons put forward their hands, he grabbed them both and pulled them into his arms for a hug, relishing in the sound of their playful laughter.

However, as his knee began to protest, Bates decided to stand back up, "Right, I think it is high time you came to see your sister."

A series of shouts could be heard as he led the boys upstairs, although he told them to be quiet as they approached the master bedroom. Bates opened the door, and Anna was still there in bed, holding their little girl close to her. It was not long ago that Anna had given their daughter her first feed, and Bates had passed her from his arms to hers and watched in awe as their daughter was fed. He had stolen a kiss from Anna then before the boys had returned home and he went to prepare them.

Anna looked up, and her heart flipped at the sight of her boys, "Hello, boys. We've both been waiting for you."

William and Henry approached their mum cautiously, Bates following behind them. However, Anna patted the bed beside her when she noticed their caution, and it was instantly resolved as they climbed up beside her.

"Say hello to your sister, Ella May Bates," Anna whispered, meeting John's eyes as he came to perch on the end of the bed, smiling brightly in his direction. He smiled back.

"She's really small," Henry stated, peering into the blankets.

Bates chuckled. "You were that small when you were born, Henry."

Henry turned to his father. "Was I really?"

Bates nodded and, when Henry looked to Anna for confirmation, she nodded too.

Anna watched William carefully, who was looking from his mum to his sister constantly. "Would you like to hold her, William?"

William's eyes widened at the thought, but eventually he nodded.

"Come here, then," Anna told him.

William moved carefully to sit beside his mother, close enough so that she could guide his hands properly. Then she carefully placed Ella into her brother's arms.

"There you go."

William looked down at his sister, Ella, who wriggled about for a moment, getting herself comfortable. And then she opened her eyes, looking straight at her brother, and she lifted her chubby, little arm to reach out for him. Anna smiled at the sight, and gestured for John to ease Henry forward a little more. The little boy had edged closer and closer to his brother and new sister, and was now sat at their side.

"Give her your finger, Henry," Bates instructed.

Henry did as instructed, and gasped in delight when Ella closed her fist around his finger.

Both Anna and John watched their three children interact together for the first time with tears in their eyes and knew that, finally, their dream was nothing but their reality.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Last chapter. Thank you so much for all of the response, it really meant a lot. I have struggled a bit more with this last chapter, but hopefully the fluff will still be sufficient. I have started writing a new A/B story, which I hope to start posting as soon as I have rough drafts written of a fair few chapters. Big thank you to **testship **for reading this through for me and giving advice, as always you are awesome! **

**Enjoy Bates family fluff! Oh, and as for Downton S4 you can expect me to warn people in story summaries if I write anything related to the new series. I don't want to spoil it for you guys! **

**More Than Just A Dream, **_pussycatwithattitude_

_**Chapter Five**_

_December, 1936_

Ella opened her eyes that morning, letting them adjust to the light that streamed through the crack in the curtains albeit reluctantly. Every morning was a battle to fit just a little more precious sleep into her body, but almost every morning her fight was in vain. However, these past few mornings had been no struggle whatsoever. The little girl leapt out of bed almost instantly, a huge smile plastered across her face as she headed towards her bedroom door. She flung it open and crossed the hallway, knocking briefly on another bedroom door before flinging that one open too, rushing towards the bed.

Ella jumped onto the bed without a second thought, causing the occupants to groan as the bed shook and, in the case of the male, a weight had landed on top of him.

"_Ella_," Anna groaned, turning her head and burying it into her pillow.

Ella ignored her mother briefly although giggled at her attitude, and turned her attentions fully to her father, who was albeit reluctantly sitting up in bed. "What time is it, sweetheart?" he asked, tiredly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Half past five!" Ella announced proudly, having recently learned to tell the time properly.

Anna groaned even more, pulling the pillow tighter around her.

Husband and wife had had to be careful at night since Ella had entered their lives. The little girl was prone to waking during the night and finding her way into their bedroom. So much so that Anna and Bates had been forced to redress after they made love.

"I thought we agreed to stay in bed for a little longer this morning," Bates began telling his daughter, albeit smiling as she gathered up the duvet in her hands and jumped beneath it with them. He was right, they had decided that this morning would mean a lie in for all of them. Given that it was Christmas Eve, all the family knew that Ella especially would be up bright and early the next morning, therefore this had been their compromise.

"But, daddy…"

"Father Christmas will not come to little girls who wake up so early in the morning," Bates began.

Ella was still considering this as Anna turned in bed and brought one of her arms up and around her daughter, pulling her closer. Ella smiled, momentarily forgetting the statement her father had made moments ago, snuggling into the embrace of her mother who was now wearing a very content smile across her face. Anna buried her nose into the back of her daughter's neck, breathing in her scent whilst ignoring the mess of hair that had fallen out of the plait she had woven yesterday before bed.

Bates could not help but smile at the picture before him: his two girls. He turned onto his side as well, watching them peacefully as Ella began to succumb to sleep once more, having completely forgotten her previous argument, and Anna most likely there already.

As he watched them for the next hour or so, Bates began to think back over the last few years, the years they had been living in the hotel.

The family had made the move to their quaint, seaside hotel two years ago, not long after Lord Grantham had passed away. It had been an ultimately difficult decision to leave Downton, but as John had been left without work, it seemed like the opportune moment to make the big move. Lady Grantham had been surprisingly generous to the Bates family after the death of her husband, claiming that Robert had always thought so highly of Bates, and that he would not want the man who had saved his life all those years ago to leave his service without. Lady Grantham had been reminded that, had it not been for Bates saving his life all those years ago in Africa, there would have been no life to live in these recent years. Anna had also suspected that Lady Mary had something to do with it – both with persuading her mother in the first place, and also in persuading her late father's valet to take the money. Probably something along the lines of an easier start to hotel life for his family.

So, here they were now.

Mr and Mrs John Bates had found a lovely, little hotel in Scarborough, a relatively short distance from Downton village, which had a fantastic sea view and up to a dozen bedrooms, not including their own family quarters. The section of the house included four bedrooms – the master bedroom, and one for each of their growing children, a small sitting room, a bathroom and a small kitchen which led out to a small, well-kept garden.

His children had spent many hours in that garden, playing or helping their mother plant flowers.

_And how they were growing_, Bates thought, watching his baby girl as her breathing became even.

William was now fourteen and had dreams of taking an apprenticeship in motor engineering. He had always been fascinated with cars, and Anna and Bates had never stopped hearing his pleas to buy one for themselves. As it was, they were in no need of one, and their growing son would have to make do inspecting the cars their guests brought when they would not mind him looking. Most guests didn't.

Henry was eleven now, and rarely took his nose out of books – much to the delight of his father. Both he and Anna believed that he would go on to greater things, perhaps even attend University and develop as a scholar. His teachers at school praised his intellectual capacity and his desire to work, and also mentioned that his creative streak could run wild in literacy classes. Henry read a lot – most of the books John owned, he had read, although he had advised his son sternly not to read some of them until he was older – and when the guests would accidentally leave books, he would pick them up and finish them too. The pile in _his _room was growing by the month. Birthdays and Christmas were easy to buy for their book-loving son.

And Ella. Ella was a little livewire at the age of six and both Anna and John knew already that she would prove to be tough work growing up. Her headstrong personality came from Anna, there was no doubt, and once she would develop her own opinions, John knew him and Anna would have no chance of guiding her. Not that either of them _would_ impede on any of their children's dreams.

"You big softie," came the voice of Anna, startling Bates a little as he thought she had fallen asleep at the same time as their daughter. He looked over the top of a sleeping Ella to see his wife smirking back at him, one of her hands now propping up her face.

Bates did not respond to her jests, and instead simply smiled.

"She has always been a daddy's girl," Anna commented, reaching across to smooth the hair from out of her little girl's eyes.

"She can be a daddy's girl for as long as she wants," Bates responded breathlessly, stroking his daughter's cheek.

When he remained quiet for the next few minutes, and still wore a deep, pensive look across his face, Anna finally spoke up,

"What is it?"

He looked up and then back down, focusing on Ella.

"John."

He looked at her again, a meek expression across his face that his wife instantly recognised. Bates heard her sigh, and he himself swallowed nervously.

"John, stop it."

"But, Anna–"

"I mean it, John," Anna reprimanded him sternly, however she lowered her voice when Ella shifted in her arms.

She looked back across at her husband.

"Anna, what if I never see her–" He was about to continue when his voice finally broke and wavered, and Anna could see that his lip had been trembling.

Decidedly, Anna quickly disentangled herself from Ella and promptly walked around to his side of the bed, reaching for his hand. When he took it, she instantly squeezed and began to caress it, pulling him up into a sitting position. A piece of his greying hair fell across his eyes, and she lovingly swept it away, leaning forward to press soft kisses to the wrinkles on his forehead.

She heard him inhale deeply.

"Come with me."

Anna pulled him softly – encouragingly – to his feet, stopping by their bedroom door to hand him his dressing gown whilst also fetching her own.

She continued to pull him along until they reached the back door of their hotel before she turned the lock and beckoned him outside.

"Anna, it's freezing."

He was right. Although it had yet to snow this Christmas, it hung in the air.

Anna reached behind them and took a blanket that had been kept by the back door.

Bates was about to open his mouth and enquire as to their unusual morning activity before Anna spoke up, "I thought we could watch the sunrise this morning. It is always so beautiful in the winter, and here by the sea. I remember at Downton we would sometimes catch it as we walked up to the house."

Bates watched his wife keenly as she sat herself down on a little bench against the wall that they had purchased not long after their move here. She turned her head a moment later and motioned for him to join her, and he did, instantly being covered by the warmth of the blanket.

Anna snuggled into his side instantly, using the natural warmth of his body in counteraction to the weather around them.

They both sat there for some time together, watching the sunrise from their own little garden. Bates listened as Anna sighed softly.

Bates turned his head slightly, his chin coming to rest on top of her soft curls, still blonde, though faded a little, even despite her fiftieth birthday having been in June. He watched as Anna entwined her fingers with his, noticing that her eyes were focused on his hands. "What are you up to, Mrs Bates?"

"I don't want you to feel uneasy," Anna began, caressing his hands.

Bates sighed, kissing the head of his wife. "I know, but the fact remains that I might never get to see our children reaching those important milestones."

"John–" Anna protested weakly.

"I may never see William with his own children, just like I might never see Henry graduate from University, or progress further with his studies." It was a running idea between them that their second son would continue with his studies further, and over the years their idea never had reason to falter. "I may never walk my daughter down the aisle on her wedding day, never mind be overly protective when men wish to court her."

Anna had stilled the motion of her hands, and John had noticed. When he stopped his revelation, he craned his head to see that her cheeks were stained with tears. He felt his heart clench uncomfortably, and was about to speak further when she looked up herself and began,

"I know the chances of you seeing those things are slight," she began, although it looked like she did not want to accept the possibilities. "But, after everything we have been through, you know that it is _now _that matters. We live for who we are now, and we enjoy what we have, just like we did all those years ago at Downton."

"I know, Anna…"

"How could I have ever survived all those years ago, not knowing if you would ever be released? I lived for each and every visit, every single moment with you I could have."

"And so did I," Bates began. "You have no idea how much."

Anna shifted and titled her head to one side, giving him a smile. But then she turned a little pensive once more, and before she continued to reassure him she sighed, "Just, don't let it defeat you so, hm?" She reached up and stroked his cheek lovingly.

He nodded, smiled and shifted further into her touch subconsciously.

Anna smiled triumphantly before leaning forward and pressing their lips together.

"Now, I think we should head back inside," Anna began. "Before those darling children of ours wake up."

Bates could not help but smile at her words, and there was a subconscious glint in his eyes as he contemplated his fortune once more – the fortune that had granted him such a beautiful, loving wife and three equally beautiful, talented children. He must have done something good in a former life, he thought to himself.

He allowed himself to be pulled inside by his wife, and then watched as she almost glided around the kitchen, preparing them a pot of tea.

It was these kinds of mornings that husband and wife allowed themselves to luxuriate in their own home. All of the guests had left for Christmas with their own families – although that was not always the circumstance – which meant that he and Anna could focus entirely on their own family. Their own day.

* * *

The five of them had just returned home later that day from their shopping ventures in the town. Anna had insisted that she needed to make the trip to collect the rest of her ingredients for their dinner tomorrow, and the children had been bursting with excitement at the prospect of a venture into town on Christmas Eve, although William, his age considering, was a little more restrained.

Bates had finally conceded to the pleas of his children and bought them each a sweet stick of rock which they had promised only to eat after their dinner tonight – although only when Anna had her back turned. She had not yet discovered the little package in her husband's coat pocket. Bates could never resist the pleas of his three children, especially his baby girl. The aspects of Anna their little girl had inherited made it almost impossible to deny her anything – after all, John could hardly resist giving into Anna and her demands more often than not. The boys had been more tactical in their pleas, bribing him – or rather blackmailing, as John had put it – by bringing up the broken vase from months ago that their mother still did not know the culprit of.

"Go and sit in the front room," Anna instructed her children as they piled through the door, all shivering despite their coats. Anna helped her daughter out of her coat as the boys pulled theirs off too, placing them on the hooks. "Keep warm in there until I run you all a bath."

Anna turned to her husband once the children had scurried into the front room left for the family – there was another that the guests used – noticing that he was wincing slightly and relying heavily on his cane. "Please could you build the fire for them?"

"Of course I can," he smiled in return, leaning down to steal a quick kiss.

Anna continued to watch her husband as he started to make his way through to their sitting room, "John, your knee…"

He turned to face her, a resolute look across his face. "It's fine, just a little bit stiff."

It always stiffened more in the harsh weather. Anna remembered it doing so since she had first met John, from his first winter at Downton Abbey up until the last few weeks. She had always been cautious of his pain, although was wary of making her caution known especially in the first years. She had often tried to persuade him to use a cream for it in those years, and sometimes he had relented and accepted her help. In the first year of their marriage back at the cottage, his knee had been worse than ever due to the strain of prison and his not being allowed to use his cane. It was during those times that Anna had been relentless in her pursuit to help him, and eventually he had given in and let her massage it on a night when it hurt him most. He may not have said it often, but it was exactly the balm his knee had needed and Anna had always reassured him that she had never thought less of him because of it. Her confession had brought back harsh reminders of his time with Vera after coming back from Africa and the wound had still been fresh, but his new, wonderful wife had eased away his worries with her deft touch and warm kisses. John Bates had known then that he could never have fallen into better arms.

"Perhaps you could let me massage it later?" Anna suggested, always wary of his pride, but with a twinkle in her eye that Bates had learnt to read ever since his release from prison all those years ago.

Bates did not answer verbally, but instead smirked at his wife knowingly.

Anna smirked back, knowing full well that he knew what she was thinking.

Eventually, Anna left to go upstairs and arrange the bath for their children whilst John turned to go and build the fire. When he entered the room, he found Henry already sat in his father's chair, a book in hand, and little Ella and William sat across the floor having brought out a pack of cards from the wooden box in the corner.

Bates smiled at his children warmly before moving across to try and build the fire. It took him longer than it might have done in his younger years, but he still finished it fairly quickly, and he had been sat down for ten minutes or so when Anna returned downstairs to tell William and Henry to get their baths.

When William and Henry had come back downstairs, clad in some fresh, warm clothes that she had warmed for them previously, Anna stood and reached for her daughter. "Come on, you! Bath time."

Ella pouted her lips, having been happily immersed in a game of cards with her father.

"Don't give me that look, young lady. We need you out of those clothes otherwise–"

"But, mummy!"

"Come on, sweetheart," Bates began, getting to his feet albeit struggling a little. "You don't want to be ill in bed tomorrow, do you?"

This idea seemed to spring some sort of life into the little girl, since she abruptly jumped to her feet and ran up the stairs. Anna laughed as Ella brushed past her, and John simply smiled knowingly.

"Do you want me to come up and help?" John asked.

Anna smiled. "If you want to."

They both followed their daughter upstairs to their relatively small bathroom where the tub was sat, the water still fairly warm. Husband and wife both arrived to find Ella struggling with the buttons of her dress, letting out a frustrated huff when the button would simply not cooperate.

"Come here, darling, let me help," Anna beckoned her closer.

"But I want to do it myself!" Ella complained.

_Ever the stubborn one_, both her parents thought.

"Fine," Anna conceded immediately, aware that her little girl was growing up faster than she could anticipate, although she was ready to compromise. "How about you carry on with those, and I will help you take off your tights."

Ella seemed content with this compromise, and continued to struggle with the small buttons of her dress. Eventually, and after much a firm stance that she needed no help, she had loosened all of the buttons and her mother had lifted her dress over her head, helping her into the bath tub.

"Ella May Bates your toes are ice cold!" Anna teased her daughter, grabbing her still small feet, probably taken after her mother, as Ella giggled, splashing in the water in an attempt to stop the tickling to her feet.

John smiled as he came to sit on the stool beside the tub, Anna kneeling on the floor, already cupping the water and pouring it over their daughter.

However, Ella soon stopped smiling and instead began to yawn.

"I think someone needs an early night tonight," Bates stated, watching his wife and daughter interact fondly.

Just as Ella was about to protest, another yawn escaped her.

"I agree," Anna joined in, raising an eyebrow at her daughter.

"Will Christmas come quicker if I go to bed now?"

Bates laughed. "I think it's a little early yet, you haven't even had your dinner."

"Oh," Ella responded dejectedly.

Anna and Bates shared an amused look with each other, before Anna began to help their daughter out of the bath tub, Bates passing her a towel. Anna wrapped the towel around her daughter and helped Ella rub the water away before taking her into her little bedroom and changing into some more comfortable clothes.

* * *

Rejoining their two sons in their living room, Anna and Bates could not help but stop and stand by the door, smiling to themselves. Ella had ran ahead into the room, eager to rejoin her older brothers, and as the two proud parents watched their children interact, Bates carefully slipped an arm around his wife of seventeen years. Anna craned her head and looked up at her husband, smiling as the crinkles around his eyes became even more defined – a tell-tale sign of his happiness, his true smile. She had always been able to tell when a smile didn't reach his eyes, because it _physically_ didn't.

"Go on, sit with them for a while," Bates beckoned and urged her into the room. "I'll make us something warm to drink."

"But, John–" Anna was going to argue and insist that John spend his time with them too, but the look on his face caused her to fall silent.

She smiled in gratitude, nodded and kissed his cheek.

Bates watched happily as his wife entered the room, instantly seeking the attention of her children. She sat on the sofa, in the middle, and Ella instantly sought comfort in her lap, sitting back against her mother, as William also came to sit on the sofa beside his mother.

Bates smiled and left them to it, entering the kitchen to begin preparing some tea for Anna and him. Whilst that was brewing, he also began to prepare some hot chocolate for the children as a special treat – given that it was Christmas Eve. His knee was still biting at him a little, but he quickly dismissed the pain and continued to make drinks for his family.

It was times like these that Bates took the time to think about his life now, and the significant difference to his life that might have been should he never have arrived at Downton, should the late Lord Grantham never had kept him on after those first few months, had Anna never found the evidence to release him from prison… He closed his eyes, aware that so many obstacles could have floored them, when in fact every, single challenge they had faced had only made them stronger.

Hell, here they were today in their own hotel, with their own family. With their three, perfect children.

He could never have imagined this life when he had returned from Africa all those years ago, feeling that his life was slipping away after every whiskey, after every night spent drowning the sorrows of his loveless marriage. Fate could be a cruel mistress, but the path it had forced him to take; he would never stop thanking the stars. To have found Anna after all those years, and to have her love him so relentlessly for so long, despite him never giving in, caused his heart to swell even now.

He would never, and never had, taken that for granted.

Smiling to himself still, Bates gathered all of the prepared drinks onto a tray and walked through into the sitting room.

The sight that waited for him there would never fail to warm his heart.

Anna was sat with all three of their children – Ella on her lap, William to her left and Henry to her right – reading from the book Henry had been immersed in not five or ten minutes ago. Ella had buried her face into the neck of her mother, her thumb in her mouth as she listened to the story being told, whilst their two boys – despite their argument that they were growing and would not need so many displays of affection – each had their heads resting against Anna's arms.

It was the perfect picture.

Bates waited for as long as possible, not wanting to disrupt the scene, before walking into the room and joined the perfect scene, setting the drinks down on the coffee table.

He settled himself down in the small space beside William, receiving welcoming smiles from Anna and his eldest boy, the other two still immersed in the story. As Bates watched them all, he noticed that Henry was eagerly following the words on the page as Anna read.

Bates smiled and sighed contentedly, settling himself back on the sofa. The slight weight of William against his side, the occasional giggle from Ella, the odd sniffle from Henry who was undoubtedly developing a cold and the constant sound of Anna telling them the story gave him every reassurance in the world. Anna soon switched the reading responsibility to Henry, who took over admirably. Bates thought to himself and smiled, this was his family, and this was their reality.

And, sitting like this on Christmas Eve, he could never have imagined a better one.

**THE END**


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